Falling Inside the Black
by PseudonymousEntity
Summary: When the Horcrux within awakens Harry changes forever. If a murdering Godfather and soul sucking dementors weren't enough he faces the reality of house politics, a psychopathic werewolf instructor, and his imminent merge with the soul of Tom Riddle. Good thing he's got a sense of humour. BAMF!Lupin. Creepy!Lupin. Crack. Jealous!Gryffindors. Dark humour.
1. Chapter 1

**Falling Inside the Black** by **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

 **SUMMARY:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating: T?**

 **Characters:** Harry Potter.

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. Do you really require more of a warning?

 **AN:** I felt like writing something that didn't require massive amounts of research, ignoring the research I've already done (VBB, CYHMN, Rivalry, Devil...) Everyone's got a Harry merging with or somehow communicating with and learning from his Horcrux story so I thought I'd give my version of it a try. I was in a sarcastic mood with not a lot of sleep at the time. I blame that.

 **Regards**

 **-Pseu**

 **ANx2: I went back and rewrote the first chapter. I know I said I wasn't taking this one as seriously as the others but when I reread the first chapter I literally cringed. On that note! Here's the new and improved first chapter**

 **Ever Yours**

 **-Pseu**

* * *

 _I am in control, I haven't lost my mind_

 _I am picking up the pieces of a past you left behind_

 _I don't need your condescending words about me looking lonely, I don't need your arms to hold me_

 _Leave me in the cold, you better run away_

 _I'm gonna dig a hole and bury all the memories we've made_

 _Of the voices in my head down the darkest road, something follows me_

 _I am not alone_

* * *

Chapter 1

Harry strolled into the great hall wearily, fingers running through his soaking locks. Shoes squeaking on the stone floor, wet clothing sticking to his skin. He paused long enough to pull his robe off entirely and sling it over an arm. He was still wet but at least he didn't feel like he weighed a million tonnes. The feast was well under way and once again he'd missed the sorting. Harry didn't know why they thought he needed to be looked at after passing out. There wasn't a concussion and he was reasonably certain his soul hadn't been sucked out. Someone would probably have mentioned that. Over reaction maybe? The adults hadn't shown much concern when he was forced to play figure-it-out-or-the-dark-lord-gets-immortality in first year, nor when the students were planning to throw him in the lake as squid food in second year but he couldn't be certain. Wizards had strange ways of looking at things. Still, he didn't see why he had to sit there while the medi-witch performed every spell known to wizard-kind to ensure there was nothing wrong with him. Her suddenly pale face and muttering about power levels and puberty was annoying as well. All any of that did was bring more attention to himself. Couldn't they see that was the last thing he wanted? Every time he got attention people either stared and pointed at his scar or they squealed and parted out of his way because they were afraid he was going to some how petrify them by looking at them. Alright, the last may have been funny but the first was annoying. No sense of proper decorum, it was disgusting.

Harry paused and tilted his head thoughtfully. Since when did he know anything about proper decorum? He rummaged around in his mind for a minute, finding the information next to a blurred memory of a stack of books in the library. Probably the remnant information from one of Hermione's spontaneous and useless rants, he supposed. Harry shrugged and sat on at the Gryffindor table. Whipping his still un-dry hair and ignoring Hermione's affronted expression at being splashed with pure rain water from the heavens, honestly there were worse things he could have sprayed her with. Ron was in the process of spraying the table with his dinner. Harry reached out for an apple only to find there weren't any. Not one bloody apple on the whole god forsaken Gryffindor table. That's okay. He only got humiliated on the train by soul sucking creatures sent to find the murderous escaped prisoner the Weasley parents thought was after him. It wasn't like he needed his favorite snack to calm him down or anything. No big deal.

Wet, hungry and nearly soulless. What a way to start the year.

"Potter! Potter, is it true?"

Harry turned in his seat to see Draco Malfoy sitting directly behind him, turned in his own seat to face him, That was odd. Didn't they usually have it arranged to glare at each other from across the hall? Why were the tables rearranged? Maybe the wizarding had something against leaving anything alone long enough for anyone to gain some sort of sense of security, what with the ever changing Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers and the constant flow of new and ever more frightening threats to their lives each year.

Oh darn Malfoy was still waiting for an answer and looking a bit uncomfortable from Harry just staring at him and not saying anything like a creeper. He felt like face palming if he wasn't certain the pureblooded boy wouldn't understand the gesture.

"Oh, er, what?" What had he asked?

"Is it true? You actually fainted?" The blonde repeated.

Oh. Great the whole school probably knew if Malfoy knew. "Yes. It seems the full frontal assault on my sense of one of the worst memories I didn't know I had caused some sort of sensory overload forcing me to loose consciousness so my brain could recuperate. I didn't lose my soul though, so that's good." It really was. Harry had never personally observed someone without a soul, non-metaphorically speaking, but he thought he could confidently assume, this was something one tried to avoid given the chance.

Silver eyes blinked. Before he could answer Harry carried on, turning around completely, crossing his ankles and smiling. The blonde's bewilderment at Harry's friendly attitude made him grin internally. It was funny messing with Malfoys. At least he thought it was. He didn't think he'd done it before, but he was enjoying it well enough now.

"On that note, since you're so interested, would like to know what I see when the dementors come around?"

Malfoy's face blanked and he was quiet for a moment. Deciding Harry wasn't making fun of him he nodded. Harry noticed that for once his long blonde hair wasn't greased back, instead falling to either side with short bits lying across his eyes. Unfortunately this would do nothing but boost the boy's vanity he was sure, as he looked very good like this. Harry blinked. And enough of that train of thought, he decided.

Harry rested his hands on his knees and leaned forward conspiratorially. Malfoy shot a look at the other Slytherins who turned promptly and looked away. Harry wished he could have control over the Gryffindors like that. It would be all sorts of useful.

"There"s my father's voice telling my mother to run, he of course stayed to engage the Dark lord. There's my mother's voice begging for my safety. I think she was asking him to take her life instead. Is that common? Negotiating murders during the act of murder? Next there's the Dark Lord's telling her to move aside. Obviously she didn't. And lastly there's a scream and a bright green light filling my vision. Pain. Lots of it."

Malfoy stared at him. Then he leaned forward as well, the two of them effectively blocking the aisle. "Why would the Dark lord ask your mother to move? He tried to spare her life?" The descriptions of his families final moments not interesting the Slytherin as much as the Dark Lord giving someone a chance to escape with their life.

Biting his lip Harry thought that over. It hadn't actually occurred to him to look at it that way. Who would have thought and evil wanna-be dictator would have a sense of honour like that? Huh. You learn something new everyday.

"I seems so. I wonder why." Harry made a mental note to remember to think about that more. It seemed like it might be important.

Malfoy eyed him. "You know Potter-"

"Harry what are you _doing?"_ The red head sitting beside him on the Gryffindor side of the imaginary line he and Malfoy were pretending didn't exist, pulled on his arm roughly. "Turn back 'round mate. What're you talking to him for? Aren't you gonna eat nothin? Har? Harry?"

"No I'm listening." he assured, "I was just re-evaluating all of our past interactions and trying to remember if you've always butchered the Queen's English like this or if it's a new development. Like how Malfoy is letting his hair grow out. If it is I have to advise you that it isn't all that beneficial. You already have that stupid, poor, blood traitor thing going on. Talking like you've never opened a book won't make it much better."

Ron swallowed his food. Harry didn't know if the cheering across the hall was related or not.

"What?" asked Ron.

Harry shook his head. "Never mind Ron. Finish eating."

"But you're not eating." Obviously. It was inappropriate to eat your food while talking with someone. Maybe he should tell Ron that.

"There's nothing I want on our table."

Ron didn't seem convinced. A sudden smile bloomed. "I s'pose I wouldn't be hungry either if I was stuck staring at his rat face." He thumbed at Malfoy who looked mortally offended. Harry turned back to Malfoy and looked him over. The Slytherin's cheeks tinged pink and he swallowed nervously.

Curiouser and curiouser.

"What are you doing Potter?" His voice was tight, body language stiff. Expecting an insult then. Harry turned his head one way, then the other consideringly, watching his cheeks grow a bit redder under the examination.

"Trying to see the rat reference." Said Harry, continuing his observation, enjoying manipulating the blonde's emotions.

Malfoy's eyes hardened.

"I don't see it." Harry decided. Partly to surprise the blonde and partly because it was true.

His gaze softened slightly, expression wary. "You don't?"

"Should I?"

Malfoy lifted his chin. "Of course not. Malfoy's are known for being good looking. I was only expressing my surprise. I thought you would have agreed with him." Not that he was vain about it or anything.

"Why would I agree with him if I think he's wrong?" Asked Harry. He tried to think how it would benefit him to agree with Ron just then and nothing came to mind. Slytherins were a paranoid lot though so he supposed he could forgive him for judging him. It wasn't like he wasn't guilty of doing the same.

The blonde made an odd gesture. "Because he's your best mate isn't he? That's what you two usually do. Or at least, you've never said anything to contradict him before."

"Haven't I?" Harry thought about it. "I guess I haven't. To be fair I tend to tune you two out when you're fighting. It gets repetitive. Blah blah blah, POOR, blah blah blah, RICH BOY. So on and so forth." He waved his hand.

"Oh." Malfoy sipped his water in the pause.

Ron pulled at his arm again. "Harry turn around." He said this with an alarming amount of food in his mouth and Harry wondered why the boy didn't just ignor Harrya nd proceed to scarf down everything edible on the table as he no doubt wished to do. Harry wouldn't be talking to him if he was anyway so what did it matter if he faced the other way? The view was better. Less of a gross out factor.

"Why?"

"So I can talk to you."

"...aren't we talking now?"

"No, you're talking to Malfoy."

Harry shook his head. "I'm really pretty sure right now I'm talking to you." The pointlessness of the conversation was getting on his nerves.

"Yeah, er fine, I guess. But turn back around."

Malfoy bit into something with an enticingly familiar crunch,. While Ron blabbed on Harry stared at the delicious looking red apple in Malfoy's hand. The blonde raised an eyebrow and moved the apple back and forth slightly, smirking when he saw Harry's eyes following it. "Did they not have apples on your table Potter?"

"None." Harry breathed, watching the apple disappear bite by bite.

Silver eyes rolled. Malfoy reached a hand behind him. "Why didn't you just say something?" He pulled his arm back and tossed an apple at him. "There you go."

Harry caught it automatically. Apple. He munched it happily. Half way through it was smacked out of his hands. Harry watched it fly through the air and strike a newly made Hufflepuff in the forehead. Slowly he looked to his Right at Ron. The red head seemed proud of himself.

"What the hell was that for?" Demanded Harry.

A book smacked into the back of his head. "Language Harry."

"Yes Hermione." He replied in his fakest cheerful tone of voice. She didn't appear to notice.

"You weren't listening to me." Said Ron, as if that excused the flight of the apple.

"So?"

"So? So it's rude."

Malfoy sneered. "And knocking someone's food from their hand isn't rude?"

Ron's face scrunched up. "Oi no one's talking to you!"

"Actually _I_ was."

"No one asked you Harry."

The littler Gryffindor huffed. "Just turn around and eat."

"But I wanna to talk to you."

"Then talk."

Ron's eyes went from Harry to Malfoy and back. "But he can hear."

"Is it a secret?" Harry cocked his head.

"Well no."

"Then what does it matter?"

Apparently having enough of the conversation Ron stood, gripped Harry and spun him around in his seat. Harry hissed and rubbed his arms. That was going to leave bruises.

"Fine." Said Harry, sulking.

The meal went on. Harry didn't eat anything, the loss of the delicious red apple fresh on his mind. Anything else seemed insulting to its memory. Various classmates made unlikely boasts about their summers which Harry ignored. He spent his getting insulted by an aunt he ended up blowing up before riding a bus driven by a sociopath and then getting a room at an inn courtesy of the Ministry of Magic. He didn't think anyone would believe him honestly. At some point the headmaster mentioned the dementors had been invited to wander about the grounds in their search for the murderer Sirius Black. Dumbledore seemed to think the man would be after Harry as well.

Wasn't that just comforting?

Harry stood from the bench, straightening his robes and running his fingers through his hair again in an effort to tame it. Everyone else was trying something new, maybe he should too? He pondered the merits of using a spoon as a mirror to see it if looked any better. The hairs on his neck rose. Someone leaned close pressing a cool object into his hand. He heard Malfoy's voice in his ear.

"Try not to let Weasley use it for projectile weaponry this time." Harry turned around to face Malfoy, slipping the apple into a pocket.

"Thank you." He would be examining it for poison later but he was thankful all the same. Malfoy studied him. Harry studied him back, noting in annoyance that Malfoy had grown tall over the summer and now towered above him. When would he get a growth spurt? The blonde opened his mouth to say something.

Harry felt a crushing pressured on his arm and was yanked sideways. Arms closed around him. Startled Harry looked up to see Ron. The red head glared at Malfoy.

"Leave him alone Malfoy. Crawl back to the dungeons like a good little snake yeah?"

This was getting old. Fast. So what if he was talking to Malfoy? Sure the guy might be trying to poison him but it hardly called for physically assaulting Harry. He squirmed in Ron's grip. It tightened,. Harry winced. Did everyone but him get a growth spurt? Malfoy's eyes were locked on Ron's grip on him. He said nothing at first, dismissing Ron entirely, to catch Harry's eyes. Harry wasn't sure what the blonde was searching for. Malfoy gave him a nod goodnight, then he turned and walked away.

Harry allowed Ron to drag him to the common room, mostly in an effort to avoid more manhandling. He would need to do something about this. The bigger boy was not his keeper. If Harry wanted to talk to Malfoy or sit with the Ravenclaws or pay Voldemort a call on a phone-box it wasn't Ron's business. Who was he to tell Harry who he should be talking to? Nothing even happened. They were in the middle of the great all for Merlin's sake. Not to mention it gave the wrong impression. Ron wasn't his master. Pausing in the act of getting his pajamas on that night Harry considered that last thought. Master. Why would he think Ron was acting like his master? It _was_ sort of offensive though... The way he ordered him around. Had he always done that? He shook his head and lay down, closing his eyes. Confused and bruised. What a way to start the year.

On the bedside table a shiny red apple sat beside round rimmed glasses.

* * *

 **AN:** One shot or keep going? I know I already have a lot of stories on my plate, but I get ideas that don't fit into any of them and they like to keep getting in the way when I'm trying to write out a new chapter. This seems to be the best way to get them out of my head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Falling Inside the Black** by **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

 **SUMMARY:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating: T?**

 **Characters:** Harry Potter.

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. Do you really require more of a warning?

 **AN:** Everyone's got a Harry merging with or somehow communicating with and learning from his Horcrux story so I thought I'd give my version of it a try. I was in a sarcastic mood with not a lot of sleep at the time. I blame that.

 **Regards**

 **-Pseu**

* * *

 _Went to school and I was very nervous, no one knew me, no one knew me_

 _Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson? Look right through me, look right through me_

 _And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad_

 _The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had_

 _I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take_

 _When people run in circles it's a very, very_

 _Mad world_

* * *

Chapter 2

Ron's previously unnoticed and presently irritating over-protective and far too bruise inducing tendencies did _not_ fade come morning.

It started off as normal a morning as Harry ever got. He'd dreamt of torture and screams and green flashes of lights, basilisks and dementors. The usual sort of therapy fodder. When he'd woken at three in the morning tangled in his bedsheets and glistening with a sheen of sweat he decided to get up and ready for the day rather than return to his ill-adjusted mental dreamscape. A good choice, he'd thought, at the time. Harry stood beside his bed in the semi-darkness, not shaking as badly as he could have been, contemplating his next course of action. Getting dressed probably. A shower first actually. He dug through his trunk in search of his newest school clothes and lay them on his bed. Harry paused. This is where he ran to the shower and ran back and got dressed before anyone could see him, running around for the rest of the day without a care his shirt was button unevenly. But everyone else was trying something different this year, weren't they? Either in light of reaching teenage-hood, if that was the word for it, or because they all sensed this as a year of change he didn't know. He did feel a need to be a part of it though. Harry conjured a mirror with unsteady hands and decided not to wonder how he had known how to do so because in first year he turned a man to ash with his bare hands and in second year he listened to and was nearly killed by a basilisk. Doing things that were rare or abnormal was just his way.

Asking questions would only give him headaches and possibly thrown in Azkaban if only to keep from further freaking out the magical public with his not normal-ness.

Looking himself over in the mirror Harry gave a decisive nod and turned to his clothes. Tailoring them to fit him better, turning the slacks just a bit darker and the shirt a little longer and looser. It would be more comfortable, he thought, and his pants being a little too form fitting didn't bother him. He had had more than enough of wondering around in pants thirteen bajillion sizes larger than necessary. He took a shower and washed his hair. After he got out he took the time to straitened it out and after a moment of indecisiveness he brushed it back as he had the night before. It was getting a little long. He didn't think his hair usually grew long, unless you counted the one time his aunt had shaved it down and the next day it was back to the way it was. Maybe he should let it keep going.

His clothes on, stuffing the tie in a pocket because screw ties and unbuttoning the top three buttons on his shirt, he eyed himself critically. He looked rather good actually, in his opinion. Harry threw his book-bag over his shoulder, said to hell with his outer robes, grabbed his apple from last night and headed to the common room. If his chin was lifted a little higher and his stride lengthened in smugness there was no one there to witness the event. He sat in front of the fire munching on his fruit and reading through his text books. He hardly shook at all now.

He was fine after all. Totally fine.

The book review went by quick enough. The words and the information familiar and coming to him easily. Magic always came to him naturally when he bothered to try in class, it was the theory that he had always had a problem with. He didn't see what good knowing the hows of it did when he could do it without knowing. But it was important. And interesting. Or it was now anyway, he was pretty sure he wouldn't have cared last year. Of course he'd been accused of being the Heir of Slytherin last year but really was that any excuse to slap the education being offered to him in the face? Harry went through the recommended reading at the back of the Potions and Transfiguration texts, scribbling down titles that caught his eye. It was a good idea to learn more about it considering he almost died every year, oftentimes more than once. Why hadn't he bothered to learn more before? For that matter, he was a wizard wasn't he? Why didn't he try harder to learn magic? It was magic! He could do anything if only figured it out, magic was a shape-shifting tool of possibility. To waste it was stupid. He was better off with the muggles... His thoughts trailed off and Harry shoved them violently to the back of his mind and slammed a gate across them to keep them there. He didn't want to think about the muggles.

Harry knew that part of his desperation to look nice and do well stemmed from his Muggle relatives insistence on his looking like a street urchin, and his undeniable obsession with proving himself. Proving he was better than they were, that he was more than a freak. He knew this as well as he knew his hero complex towards people he hardly knew came from his guilt over his parent's death. They died trying to save him from the Dark Lord. It wasn't his fault, a baby can do much to protect anyone, but Harry had survived when they had not and running unprepared and ill-informed into dangerous situations for the good of others had helped to assuage his guilt. It was ridiculous to feel this way. He knew it, he did. Hell he hadn't known them, he hardly remembered them and when he did they were dying. He felt no particular emotional attachments to th. Parents were supposed to do what they could to protect their children. It didn't stop it from strengthening his relatives remarks about him being worthless and useless and weak. The sorting hat was righter than he wanted it to be. _A thirst to prove himself._

Merlin he was just the poster child for potential homicidal maniac wasn't he? Someone pushed around until they snapped and offed everyone around him.

Pleasant thoughts to dwell on at the start of the day. It was still better than listening to his parents die over and over. _Munch._ The apple was finished. Harry was pondering finding the kitchens and getting another when the first stirs of life ran through the tower. So instead he waited for his friends to get ready and come to the common room. He would walk down with them and avoid a lecture from Hermione this early in the year. After lunch would be better. He stood and stretched.

"That's a new look Potter." Harry looked over his shoulder.

"It seems to be a running theme this year Seamus."

The Irish boy gave him a crooked grin. "It does doesn't it? Everyone is taller or grew their hair out or something."

"To be fair my genetics decided to skip out on the growth spurt thing so I have to settle for fixing my hair and dressing a tad nicer."

"You've always been short mate. At least it's nothing new."

Harry turned around. "I suppose so. It is irritating walking around with the world looking down on you though. Did you know most of the second years are my size or taller? Have I grown _at all_ since I was eleven?"

The taller boy cocked his head and looked him over. "You don't look like you're eleven if that's what you mean." His voice came out a little strained. His face was a tad flushed too.

Concerned Harry took a step toward him and put hand to the side of his face feeling heat beneath his fingers. Fever?

"Are you alright? You are getting a little warm." Getting sick at the beginning of year wasn't the worst thing in the world, they mostly did reviews, but they had there first Hogsmead weekend coming up soon and missing it wouldn't be any fun. It wasn't even getting cold yet.

Seamus swallowed. "I'm alright Harry. I think you should take a step back-"

"Harry!" Both boys jumped, Harry automatically reaching for his apple in his pocket before remember he'd eaten it. That boy was going to give him a bloody complex. Ron came barreling down the stairs and did what Harry had to admit was an impressive ninja-like leap and twirl, landing between them, pushing them apart. The ginger put up a hand, asking for a moment, half bent over and panting for breath. Harry and Seamus exchanged amused glances.

"Are you alright there Weasley?"

"Yes. Swell."

"Are you sure you are feeling well Seamus? Do you want me to walk with you to see Madame Pomphrey?" Harry asked, ignoring the dramatic ginger. Passing out in a corridor couldn't be healthy.

Seamus cleared his throat and averted his eyes in apparent embarrassment. "I don't think that will be necessary no." He shifted on his feet for a moment. "If you would like to though maybe you could-"

Ron straightened suddenly like someone had shoved a rod through him, "You can go now Finnegan. Harry's going to be going to breakfast soon, we're just going to wait here for Hermione."

Harry stared at Ron. That was beyond rude.

The usually easy going Irish boy gave Ron a hard look, nodded at Harry politely and took his leave. Harry realized as the boy went through the portrait hole that it was some sort of power play between the two of them. Gryffindor did power plays? When in Merlin's name did that happen? How had he missed that? And what were they even fighting over? A position of some kind? A rank? Had he been asleep these past two years or what? Harry scowled at himself. It was thanks to luck alone he wasn't dead already. He needed to start paying more attention. He paused, had Seamus called him Harry?

He fixed his sights up at Ron, who seemed to have recovered his breath, feeling both confused and angry. Power plays concerning him were his business weren't they? Why was Seamus being excluded? It was similar to Ron's reactions to Malfoy at dinner the night before, which was stranger as well because as far as Harry knew Ron and Seamus usually got on. More dictating whom Harry was allowed to interact with, that's what it was. Being bossed about. His life controlled without a thought to his preferences. He didn't like it. "What is wrong with you?" He demanded.

"Don't you know any better? Honestly what am I going to do with- _what the hell are you wearing?"_

Harry blinked, tilting his head down to see himself. He still looked fine as far as he could tell. He returned his gaze to his bigger friend. "Why? What's wrong with me?" The outfit followed the school guidelines, he'd gone ahead and checked while he was waiting for everyone to wake up. Did it not look as nice as he thought it did? And why did it matter what Ron thought anyway? He hadn't ever cared what Harry wore before had he?

"Nothing you look great." Ron assured him. He seemed sincere too.

"I, um, okay." Harry stumbled, he couldn't remember the last time he felt so off balance. Did Ron have Bi-Polar? "Thank you?" Seriously, what in the ever loving hell was going on?.

Ron gave a nod. "You're welcome. Now go change."

"Excuse me?" He said it politely, face pleasant. He sort of wanted to hit him though.

Harry caught sight of bushy hair from the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw Hermione coming toward them, her head in a book. The girl skipped over and around obstacles without looking up, heading to breakfast. Must be a radar all bookworms had genetically. A thought occurred to him. "Hermione." He called, projecting nervous cheerfulness.

"Harry." She greeted pausing before him.

"I heard Flitwick is giving a pop quiz."

Brown eyes snapped up. "What."

"I don't know if the information is accurate but I was wondering if you would go over-"

"-the required reading from the summer as a refresher just in case? Of course. You can quiz me as well. Come along. Quickly. Breakfast has only just started so we have more than enough time to go over a summary of all of the chapters. It's lucky you're up so early this morning." Her eyes returned to the book and she walked to the portrait hole.

Harry gave Ron a helpless gesture and trotted after her. The red head's footsteps sounded behind him, from his muttering Harry assumed he was less than pleased. Served him right for trying to boss him around really. Who did he think he was, Harry's keeper? Who faced the Dark Lord first year? Harry. Who defeated the basilisk? Harry again. He could take care of himself thank you. And there was nothing wrong with what he was wearing. If anything from the looks he got passing through the corridor everyone else seemed to approve. They turned left and started down the staircase. Was it jealousy? He knew Ron was sensitive about things like money and new possessions. It was only school clothes and Ron cared less for his own appearance than anyone else he knew. His robes were always rumpled, his tie uneven or undone. Did he dislike Harry looking better than him? Or was it that his clothes were tailored? As a pureblood shouldn't he knew how to do that? Or was it more of female thing? Not that it mattered, if he only asked Harry could do it for him as well. He thought over last nights events and replayed them beside the altercation with Seamus.

Protective certainly, from _what_ he didn't know, and possessive. Bossy. Controlling. Keeping others away from him. Was he afraid of losing Harry's friendship if he made other friends? But he had done it with Malfoy as well and Harry hardly ever had interactions with the blonde and most of those were petty insults, which looking back was embarrassing and he wouldn't be repeating the action, or fighting. Was one moment of not trying to kill the Slytherin enough to really warrant physically moving Harry to keep him away? Harry let out a quiet sigh. He'd figure it out eventually and then he would address it.

This behavior couldn't continue. Harry cared for Ron, he was his closest male friend, but this made it look like Harry was lesser than him somehow. The boy was obviously used to speaking up for him so Harry must have given him the impression it was okay to do so. He remembered the red head had done it his first year as well, accepting Malfoy's taunt for a duel on Harry's behalf and naming himself as his second. Harry had to side step quickly to avoid tumbling into Hermione when she slowed at the door to the great hall. He just had an epiphany. That interaction first year, Ron had instigated a power play against Malfoy.

"Aren't you going to sit down?"

Harry shook his head and glanced around. He was standing at the Gryffindor table, Hermione seated before him, Ron seated to his left. The read head looked at him curiously.

"Yes." He sat, flicking his eyes along the table. Greasy and sweet didn't sit well with him.

"I'm just going to make a list of the topics for each section Harry than I should be ready to start." Came Hermione's voice over the top of her textbook, a sheet of parchment beside her.

"Sure Hermione. Take your time."

He was going to have to sit down and go over all of his interactions and experiences since entering the magical world. Had he been sleepwalking? Harry was utterly disgusted with himself. There was no excuse for not noticing other people were dictating your life. Maybe if he had paid more attention he could have handled the student reaction last year better. He scoffed. Better. Anything was better than letting a group of teenagers treat him like dirt after pointing at him in awe the year before. Public opinion was easily swayed, He should have done something to ease their nerves and influence their opinion of him into a better light. That year could have been less unpleasant.

A clatter brought his attention down. The plate before him was being filled with a bagel and chopped fruit. He followed the arm dishing his plate to the person sitting at his right. He felt his jaw fall open. Malfoy was sitting at the Gryffindor table and he was putting food on his plate. He narrowed his eyes and flicked them over the table. There weren't any bagels or bowls of cut up fruit there. Suspicious he turned around and looked at the Slytherin table. They had them. He turned back around to see Malfoy studying him.

"Eat." The blonde commanded.

Harry sent out a pulse of magic at the plate. No cyanide. Having no idea what else to do, and still in a bit of shock, Harry picked up his fork and started eating. Malfoy gave him a small smile, stood and returned to his own table.

Harry glanced around cautiously. To his amazement no one noticed. Ron would have had a seizure he was sure. He shrugged to himself and finished about half of his meal. If Malfoy suddenly wanted to give him the good food he wouldn't convince him to do otherwise. It was useful really. And okay he might be, only a little, curious about the personality shift. All of this just from being friendly the night before?

He made a mental note to be really nice to the Slytherins in the future.

They _gave_ you things.


	3. Chapter 3

**Falling Inside the Black** by **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

 **SUMMARY:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating: T?**

 **Characters:** Harry Potter.

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. Do you really require more of a warning?

 **AN:** Everyone's got a Harry merging with or somehow communicating with and learning from his Horcrux story so I thought I'd give my version of it a try. I was in a sarcastic mood with not a lot of sleep at the time. I blame that.

 **Regards**

 **-Pseu**

* * *

 _Paint yourself a picture of what you wish you looked like maybe then they just might_

 _Feel an ounce of your pain_

 _Come into focus, step out of the shadows, it's a losing battle_

 _And when they start to judge you show them your true colours and do unto to others as you've had done to you_

 _Just rise above this, kill them with you kindness, ignorance is blindness_

 _They're the ones that stand to lose_

 _Cause they don't even know you, all they see is scars, they don't see the angel living in your heart_

 _Let them find the real you buried deep within_

 _Let them know with all you've got,_ _That you are not, You are not_

 _Your skin_

* * *

Harry shot up, chest heaving and promptly cursed. Quietly though. Not because he didn't want to wake up the bastards around him still sleeping but because he'd delighted in Hermione's disdainful and somewhat demeaning conversations with Ron over his language. If Harry hit him over the head with a book he'd get hit back but Hermione could do it all she liked. The virtues of being a female he supposed. Though he had noticed apart from the physical lifting and moving around of his person Ron had taken a liking to there had been no attempts to engage him in any manner of rough housing this year, by anyone. In fact everyone stared at him from the corners of their eyes like they expected him to just fall to pieces any moment. Maybe it was because there was an escaped mass-murderer supposedly after him. If that was the case they were far more concerned about than he was as he forgot about it most of the time until someone brought it up. In all honesty he might send the bloke a present for Christmas for getting him a get out of jail free card in regards to his blown up aunt Marge.

When his heart finally began slowing down Harry pulled back the covers and decided to get ready for the day. He paused to see Hermione's rather large and ugly cat glaring up at him with a puffed up tail. Harry suppressed a grin and wondered if it had been sleeping on his chest again and subsequently catapulted off his chest when he woke up this morning. He couldn't remember. Harry wished he did though because it would have been hilarious.

All in all it was an interesting week of making Seamus blush, getting snacks and odd searching looks from Malfoy, and being constantly manhandled by Ron. Throughout it all Neville surprisingly was the most observant and sympathetic towards his plight. Of course the boy was often amused by his situation as well and while it was incredibly annoying and confusing it was a relief to have someone who saw what was going on, if only as proof Harry wasn't going insane. Whether or not Hermione knew was up for debate as she rarely left the library and when she did she had her face buried in a book. He did recall, in a blurry hadn't quite been interested enough to pay attention at the time sort of way, that she was taking far more classes this year than anyone needed to and more than likely was attempting to keep up in them all to assert herself as the cleverest among them. And of course to keep her pride unbruised. It would no about take a bit of a face plant if she couldn't keep it up.

Harry found himself breaking his routine today. Getting dragged around by Ron didn't sound appealing this morning. Or at least it sounded even less so than any other morning thus far. Instead he wandered about the lower halls waiting for class to start. It was free period before Defense today, their first Defense class of the year, so there wasn't anyone around to bother him. Everyone else was outside enjoying the warmer weather while it lasted. When his strap started digging into his shoulder Harry wished he'd gone by the great hall before everyone left to enjoy their free period. He was reasonably certain he could have gotten Seamus to carry some of his books for him. Pouting Harry kicked at the wall and sighed.

"What did that wall ever do to you?"

He spun around, nearly over balancing with the weight of his bookbag. Harry scowled. "Good morning Malfoy."

The Slytherin tilted his head. "You didn't come to breakfast."

Harry felt a rush of guilt. Had he saved him some food again today? He hadn't even thought about that, he'd been in to much of a panicked hurry to get out of the tower before Ron found him. This had become sort of routine at this point. He sat at the table. Found nothing on it appetizing. Sulked or spaced out for a bit. Then Malfoy was there beside him filling his plate and demanding he ate, slipping away without anyone ever noticing. Slytherins must take classes in _ninja_ Harry decided.

"Er...no I didn't." Harry admitted.

Malfoy nodded thoughtfully. Reaching into a pocket he brought out an apple and held it up.

Harry grinned. "Brilliant."

When he reached for it though Malfoy lifted it into the air where Harry couldn't reach it, grinning.

"Aw come on!" Harry whined.

"I don't know if I should." said Malfoy, "You didn't even notice me when you came into this hall. You walked right by me and then gave a wall more attention than I got. I'm offended."

Harry felt his lips curling upward. "Oh did I hurt your feelings?"

Malfoy gave a nod, putting on a puppy face. "I think my heart might even be broken."

Concealing a grin Harry took a step forward bringing himself much closer to Malfoy than normal. He had done this to Seamus just yesterday, quite by accident, and the effect had been marvelous. Who better to use for a social experiment than a handy Slytherin? Harry looked down at his shoes first then took another small step closer to the taller boy, tilting his head up too look him through his lashes. "Please?" He whispered.

The reaction was immediate. Malfoy's face tinted pink, his eyes glazed over and he sort of froze. Delighted Harry snatched the apple and stepped back quickly, biting into it with glee.

Silver eyes blinked then widened. The pale face flushed further. Malfoy smiled then. "Well done."

Harry took another bite and gave a bow. "Thank you."

Feeling far more positive about his day Harry twirled around to head off down the hall. Or he would have if he his bag didn't cause him to over balance and fall to the floor with a squeak. He heard Malfoy laugh quietly. With a despondent sigh Harry covered his face with his arm. "I'm just staying here." He declared.

Malfoy snorted. A foot nudged his side making him squirm.

"Get up golden boy, or you'll be trampled when class lets out."

Harry lifted his arm to see Malfoy standing there, Harry's bag slung around his shoulder, eyebrow raised.

"There is that." Harry agreed. He held out his hand and gave a pitiful moan.

The Slytherin tried and failed to withhold a smile. A pale hand lifted him to his feet.

"Come on then. We'll have our first defense class soon."

"Alright."

They made their way to the defense room and ended up being the first in line waiting for the door to open. Their new professor had excellent timing as he opened the door seconds before Ron was about to lose his shit over Harry and Malfoy standing by each other. Harry darted into the room and then stood awkwardly. Everything was pushed to the side with only a trunk in the middle of the room that boomed and shook and growled ominously.

"Who can tell me what a Bogart is?"

Professor Lupin the proceeded to inform them that he was forcing them to face their greatest fears in front of each other because what was life without a little fear mixed with humiliation? After terrifying several thirteen and fourteen year olds, and by the happy music playing in the background and the delighted smile on his face, enjoying himself immensely, their new defense teacher gave them a break before continuing with the rest of the class.

He was taller and thinner then most adults but not as thin as Snape with dark blonde hair and amber eyes and scars along his face and a soft voice, his manner that of one ever patient and darkly amused by most things. Harry quite liked him. Even if his clothing belonged to someone sleeping on the street rather than a teacher at a prestigious school. Still it wasn't as if Harry could rightfully judge. His clothing choices until now were a toss up between too large with holes and too large with stains. At least Lupin's seemed to fit.

The man gave the room of shivering and wide-eyed children a small, sincerely pleased smile. Harry wondered how many Hufflepuffs had passed out in their mixed class with Ravenclaw. He'd have to remember to ask, he thought it might be a lot.

"What makes the Bogart fascinating is it's ability to know what truly frightens us, rather than simply what we'd find frightening. Does anyone know the difference? And does anyone by chance know the levels of fear?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air though Harry didn't know why she gave the pretense of asking for permission to speak when her mouth opened and her thoughts spurted out of it regardless of whether or not permission was given.

"There are primal fears, fears which to an extent can frighten everyone. There are perceived fears, which are as the name suggests subject to your perception. Then there is the third fear. It has no name."

Lupin made a humming sound. "I was looking for some thing a little more specific. Perhaps we can come back to that. Who can answer my first question? Harry?"

Harry blinked once, twice. No one ever asked him his opinion. He thought for a moment, the world slowing to a stop around him. How to answer. Several options sprang to mind, all of which he would have chosen last year, mostly consisting of 'er...I'm not sure sir...' That was a bit depressing. He was cleverer than that wasn't he? Harry gave himself a nod and the world sped up. "Most people would become frightened if they suddenly found themselves locked in a room with inferi or bent over at the guillotine. The things that truly frighten us do so for personal individual reasons. For instance, Ron's spider. While most of us would be frightened, or at least frightened of coming to harm, should we come across a spider of that size without warning, it only came up for Ron. No one else had a giant spider Bogart. This is because Ron is not frightened of the spider."

When Ron made to object that yes he was very much afraid of spiders Lupin raised a hand to silence him.

"Go ahead Harry."

Feeling a bit more confidant and quite unable to stop himself now that his mind was set on the question Harry continued without a single qualm that he was airing a classmates and in this instance his best mate's dirty laundry. So to speak. "Ron is frightened of becoming entangled in the spider's web. In his family there is a large number of talented individuals. A dragon tamer, a curse breaker for the goblins, a scholar, spellcrafters... All the best at what they do. It is not that he feels inferior to them it is that he resents them. Ron feels pressured to be like them, to settle for being very good at something just non-regular enough to be noteworthy. You see, none of them are famous or wealthy. They haven't got any status. And that is what Ron desires most, he wants everyone to acknowledge him as better than them. Not better skilled, though he would love to be so just to spite them, but better as a human being. He wants status. He wants people below him on the food chain. As a poor, blood traitor family the Weasleys have no status. They never will. He resents his family for their choices even as he spouts their beliefs in the halls. The spider and its many legs and its poison and its web represent his single greatest fear and single greatest desire. The piece of himself he hates."

Several students turned to look at one another analyzing each other's fears. Most of them were Slytherins which surprised no one.

"Five points Harry." Said Lupin. If Harry wasn't already used to people staring at him oddly he might have felt uncomfortable with the way the man seemed to be trying to divine answers from looking at him far longer than strictly necessary. "Perhaps you can give us your definitions of the levels of fear?"

Harry took three slow steps forward. "May I try the Bogart first please?"

"Of course Harry. Give it a go." Said Lupin after a long pause where Harry had wondered if he would be denied.

The flicker of anger at the thought was new. He usually wouldn't care. In fact he'd have probably been annoyed a most and then forgotten about it if it wasn't brought up. This seemed to be a year of things that didn't usually happen. Considering the last two years had life-size death-chess and a basilisk...that was saying something.

Harry gave him a smile of his own and stepped in front of the trunk, waiting for him to release the Bogart.

"On three. One...two...three!"

A swirling of colour came from the trunk, morphing through different potential fears before settling on the fear of the person closet to it. Harry. A Dementor precisely his size. Rather than leer toward him or attempting to suck out his soul it only stood there, still as death.

Harry shrugged. As long as it didn't try anything he didn't much care. Even the screaming from the train was muted now...as if he were under water.

How odd.

"Primal Fear is a severed head tumbling down the stairs or a body torn apart with a nasty curse. It's when the lights go out and something wet and coppery splatters your arm." He looked to Lupin who only gave a nod for him to continue. " Perceived Fear is a a vampire with blood dripping from its fangs or a praying mantis the size of one of the carriages we take from Hogsmead to get to the school each September. It's when the lights go out and something with claws grabs you by the arm."

Harry gave another pause when the Dementor, which had taken a single step forward, lowered its hood. This was frightening for any number of reasons, mostly because when a real Dementor lowered its hood it was preparing to administer a Kiss. At this precise moment what made it alarming was the pair of identical eyes glimmering in an identical face beneath the hood. Ironically, or maybe even more alarmingly, Harry was the only one unaffected. He couldn't be bothered to care just then. He was having too much fun scaring everyone.

"The third fear," Harry continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary, "is the look in the vampire's eyes. That of a predator examining prey...in the eyes of a regular person, no fangs or aversions to sunlight. It is when the lights are still on and you know something is just behind you, you can feel its breath against your ear, and when you turn around there's nothing there..."

He trailed off, touching his Demetnor-self lightly by the chin and tilting its head. "It is this fear that I am subject to. You see, sometimes there are things people ought to be afraid of...but they are not." And then he realized what his Bogart represented.

"...I fear myself." Harry had to fight the urge to giggle madly.

Silent. Utterly silent. A room full of teenagers and not a sound. Then...

"Why isn't he casting the spell?" Someone whispered.

"Should it be changing to another form? He obviously isn't all that frightened by this one."

"How can he not be frightened? _I'm_ frightened and it's not even my Bogart!"

Harry swallowed his laughter and closed his eyes briefly, unnerved by _himself_ , and he did not need to psychoanalyze that just then thank you very much. He turned to Professor Lupin, who himself was quite pale. His amber eyes were still amused, Harry noted. My Lupin was turning out to be a sadistic bastard. He _knew_ he was going to like him.

"Would you like to answer this one sir?" He asked, turning away from his Bogart to look at him properly.

Lupin cleared his throat. "It is because he already finds it funny."

No one had any more questions after that.

"Does anyone know what all of the Bogarts have in common?" Alright maybe the professor had a few.

When no one else raised their hands Harry raised his, ignoring the slight wince some of the students gave when he did so. It wasn't like he actually had the power to suck out souls, that was his Bogart. Honestly. Children these days.

"They're externalized representations of things about ourselves we fear. Our inability to protect those we care about, our inferiority complexes, our darker guilt ridden desires. Our Bogarts are pieces of ourselves. Of course mine took that to a bit of an extreme." He did get a few half hearted smiles at that.

"Well said. Another five points Harry. Now pleased read up to chapter three if you've not done so already. While we will be discussing theory as we have today there will be many practical only lessons as well so do come to class prepared. Dismissed."

No one moved. Harry rolled his eyes and flicked his hands in front of him at the class. "Shoo!"

Hermione and Ron hung back, which wasn't altogether surprising, but Malfoy hanging back as well was new. Harry cocked his head at his book dependent friend.

"Yes?"

"It just doesn't make since to me. Not your analyses of Ron, honestly who didn't see that coming?, but of yours for your own Bogart. I don't see any reason for it to be so...obviously you."

No doubt the lack of proper terminology was painful for her.

"Our fears, like our nightmares, exist outside of logic and there's little to be had in explanation outside of a personal analysis. It just isn't how they work."

"But there must be some sort of proper explanation. I mean, well yes I understand that our dreams can hardly be called the most scientific of things-"

"Then stop trying to throw logic at nightmares. Sometimes the monsters are realer than we'd like Hermione. Sometimes they're real and the only way to defeat them is to become the bigger monster."

Bushy brown hair puffed forward when she lowered her head. "But...is that why your Bogart is yourself? I'm just curious. Ron's told me you've been having nightmares each night since we've gotten back and I just want you to know you can talk to me if you-"

She was interrupted again, this time by Professor Lupin whom she'd quite forgotten was still in the room, as she jumped rather spectacularly when he began to speak.

"Every man has at least one nightmare he'd like to keep to himself." Said Lupin. "Don't you have anything you'd prefer to keep to yourself Miss Granger?"

Her cheeks flushed then and she gave a nod, allowing Ron to drag her off to lunch. Harry let them leave without him. While frightening the class had been entertaining he was still shaken by his own revelations even if he did seem calm on the outside and he didn't want to go sit at the Gryffindor table and have Hermione staring at him and attempting to psychoanalyze him the entire time. First off, he could do that on his own. and secondly he really didn't think anyone needed to know his innermost secrets. It was enough to be a freak at him, he didn't need to be one here.

More than he already was.

Another apple was suddenly in his view. Malfoy stood holding it out for him with a smirk. He would really have to figure out where on earth Malfoy got them. Did he walk around with an expansion charm and a cooling spell on his pockets all day?

He made to grab it and once again the blonde lifted it out of reach.

"No tricks this time." said Malfoy.

Harry pouted.

"Not good enough."

"I want that apple Malfoy." Said Harry, stomping his foot for good measure.

Lupin snorted behind them. Harry looked over his shoulder to see him leaning against the wall watching them out of the corner of his eye.

Malfoy cleared his throat. Harry turned back to him.

"Give us a kiss then." Said the Slytherin.

Harry blinked. Was that all? He'd done that for Seamus when he needed an extra quill in charms their first day back. Of course Ron had promptly tackled the Irish boy and the both of them got a detention.

With a shrug Harry grasped Malfoys shoulder, raised onto his toes and gave him a quick kiss to his cheek.

Malfoy tinted pink, eyes shocked. He hadn't thought he'd do it then. Well that showed him didn't it?

Harry held out his hand. "Apple?"

Professor Lupin's laughter followed them out of the class.


	4. Chapter 4

**Falling Inside the Black** by **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

 **SUMMARY:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating: T?**

 **Characters:** Harry Potter.

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. Do you really require more of a warning?

 **AN:** Everyone's got a Harry merging with or somehow communicating with and learning from his Horcrux story so I thought I'd give my version of it a try. I was in a sarcastic mood with not a lot of sleep at the time. I blame that.

 **Regards**

 **-Pseu**

* * *

 _I just want you to know these cracks are starting to show_

 _Instead of breathing I'll just hyperventilate_

 _And I'm freaking out in my head, hanging on by a thread_

 _Instead of breathing I'll just hyperventilate_

 _It's like a bullet in your back, grabs your heart and turns it black_

* * *

A whole new world was opened to him.

Harry now knew if you bounded into the library and hid behind Madam Pince's desk clutching a book to your chest with watery eyes and trembling limbs, moaning about just wanting to read without getting beaten up the older woman would ferret you away in her office with a never ending supply of hot chocolate. That particular afternoon was glorious. Alternatively Filch would let you go through his confiscated items room if you got _him_ magical items that could be used without the use of a wand. Turns out the poor guy was a squib. The house elves would do nearly anything you wanted if you burst into tears. In fact he was pretty sure some of them had adopted him. In their minds at least. Thus he had emotional manipulation and bribery down, plus whatever it was that worked so well with Seamus and Malfoy. He really needed to perfect that one as it seemed to work on pretty much anyone if he did it right. Or at least it had worked on Susan Bones, and that was three out of four houses it had worked on so far. Harry would have to do a more thorough experiment at some point to get a better read on it. On the bright side he seemed to be a natural at it. Whatever it was.

Indeed finding new ways to get what he wanted made his life into one large social experiment. He looked for any opportunity to mess with someone even if he didn't really care about what was going on. It was great fun really. He knew how to get Seamus to take notes for him in History of Magic so he could skip it. He knew how to get Malfoy to carry his bookbag and how to get Percy to give him a night pass so he didn't have to worry about losing points when he was out after curfew. That one he particularly proud of and he point blank refused to tell either Ron or the twins how he had managed it, though the pitying looks and slightly mother hen-ish behavior the Head Boy gave him now and then really should have been a big clue. Who knew his home life was such a good motivator?

Unfortunately he'd yet to find a way to get Ron to stop sinking his claws in his arms every chance he got. He couldn't talk to pretty much anyone alone when the ginger was around to notice, and if he tried that person was tackled to the ground or Harry was dragged off. Hermione didn't seem to care one way or another about Ron's neurotic behavior. His dorm mates noticed and seemed to disapprove. Neville thought it was hilarious but would allow Harry to hide behind him even if he was laughing about it the whole bloody time. Harry had the suspicion Neville knew _exactly_ why everyone was acting strange around him this year but was finding the entire thing far to entertaining to do anything about it.

It _wasn't_ funny to Harry. His arms were bruised. He had to wear long sleeved shirts. Every time Ron came near him he winced. Honestly he felt like a battered wife or something. What bothered him most was that Ron didn't seem to care that he was hurting him. He'd just look at Harry with this expression that said Harry deserved it for not following rules Ron hadn't yet decided to share. To give his arms a break Harry avoided his best friend whenever he could, filling his time with his experimentations instead. It was during all of this experimentation he'd managed to find some common ground between Lupin and Snape.

Lupin adored anything dark and creepy, with a fondness for dark creatures. Snape delighted in terrorizing his students and had a fondness for poisons he made certain everyone was aware of. Harry figured if he could get them together they could swap notes on being frightening, it was confirmed that Lupin was the scariest teacher at Hogwarts after Snape, and maybe it would get him on even better terms with Lupin and even get Snape to warm up to him a little. At first Snape seemed to dislike Lupin even more than Harry which was an accomplishment. Harry had wondered if he was worried Lupin would over take him in the ' _creepiest person ever category_ '. Turns out there was some sort of back-story there. Lupin had nearly eaten Snape.

Harry did not how Lupin had managed that but thought it was awesome anyway.

He had an elaborate plan worked out to get them to befriend one another that included peeves, a dark ritual and licorice but in the end once Snape overheard some students lamenting having detention with the new professor and whining about how he'd awarded points to Slytherins. Snape warmed up to him all on his own. That's what lead to Harry wandering around the halls waiting for both of them. He promised to volunteer more often in class if Lupin promised to get Snape to give him a point now and then. He wasn't all that picky really but he figured having the man that could poison anyone he liked and get away with it on your side was a good thing. He did wish the man would shampoo. Just once a week, that's all he was asking.

Harry walked around a corner on the third floor, boredom creeping on him. Sure Lupin had been gone half a minute but lately Harry was finding it very hard to keep control of himself if his mind wasn't properly occupied. Luckily for him three first year Ravenclaws had taken it upon themselves to carve into the wall with a wicked looking knife. Clearly they were muggleborn if their chosen words of wisdom were anything to go by. Feeling wider awake already Harry stood behind them for a minute before clearing his throat. Making people shriek and jump was good fun he decided.

"Potter!" Said firstie number one.

"Harry."

"What?"

He raised his chin and said in his best imitation of Lucius Malfoy. "Call me Harry please. I've never touched clay before in my life and I don't like the insinuation."

"Right...," said firstie number two, "Harry then. You're not going to tattle on us are you?"

Harry decided not to mention the two professors that were bound to come looking for him. "I'm not going to run off through the castle to tell a random adult that three eleven year olds are writing prejudiced crap on the walls no. I was suspected of doing the very same thing last year you know. But with blood. Mine was much more ominous and cool all around really. This is just stupid."

"B-blood?" Demanded firstie number one. Harry was beginning to wonder if firstie number three could even speak.

"Yeah. You know, that Chamber of Secrets? The basilisk? Any of this ringing a bell?"

Firstie number two gaped. "There's a basilisk?"

"Was. I ran a sword through the top of it's mouth."

Firstie number one held up a hand. "Wait, you're telling me there was a basilisk in the castle?"

"The wizarding world knows nothing about what goes on here do they?"

Half an hour into an incredibly exaggerated tale of his second year, during which he had collected even more first years and a couple second years as well, he was rudely interrupted. "...I thrust my hand forward into the mouth of the best, pressing it through the skin and bone, A loud pop indicated it'd come out of the other side but I wasn't paying attention anymore. The beast fell over and I fell backward and there in my shoulder was a tooth."

"No!"

"Yes." said Harry gravely, "I held myself up on my knees the best I could. The world blurred and spun around me and I knew it was the end-"

"Potter what _are_ you doing?"

Harry turned to see Lupin and Snape standing across the hall, both with their arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. Lupin was eating a bag of ice mice like popcorn at a movie theatre.

"Conducting a social experiment."

Lupin's eyes glanced to the petrified first years huddled in a group nearby. "A social experiment?"

"Yes."

"And this involves defacement of private property?" Snape asked archly, gaze set on Harry's hands and more specifically the small knife in them he had been using to scratch letters into the surface of the wall.

"Yes." He said, beaming at the man. "It's also great for emphasis during my story telling."

"I left you alone for five minutes and you're conducting a social experiment?" Lupin appeared torn between amusement and curiosity and not all keen to discipline him before he found out what was going on. Harry loved the guy but honestly what was Dumbledore thinking with the teachers he chose for this place? Did he just pick whichever CV had the funnest mental disorder?

"Thirty-five actually." He corrected.

"Has it been that long?"

Harry raised a brow. "What were _you_ doing for the last half an hour?"

Lupin tilted his head back as if he were wondering that himself. Snape rolled his eyes.

"Right. Anyway, as I was accused of it last year, I figured -what the hell!- and decided I should continue my legacy. Additionally, I found these fine gentlemen," he motioned to the three students not in the huddle, "Etching into the wall and thought I would fix their message. Poor dears were confused."

"Oh?"

Harry nodded. "Oh yes. You see, while you were off doing whatever it is teachers do when out of sight of their students I came upon these three engraving the immortal words _'God Hates Fag'_ into the wall. Ignoring the fact here in the British Wizarding world we call cigarettes fags and fags poofs, and of course the fact it's a grammatical nightmare, unless they were referring to a lone fag in which case they have been advocating homosexuals to hook up," he glanced at them and they shook their heads to indicated that was not in fact what they were going for, "Didn't think so. The whole thing was _ridiculous_ so I thought I'd change it into a statement that held some weight. Something poignant."

He stepped aside to give them a better view of the wall. "It is now _'God Hates Baguettes_ '." He declared proudly.

Lupin leaned against the opposite wall and grinned. "It's tough to disagree with that." he said solemnly, "Everybody hates baguettes."

"But it's true!" Said one of the midgets, stomping his foot. That was adorable. But seriously after a tale about a huge snake and a sword and a teenage Dark Lord this kid thought his glare of doom was going intimidate Harry? Did he not listen to a word of glorious battle? Children these days.

"I must have missed that part in Sunday school." Muttered Snape.

Harry cleared his throat and affected a prissy woman's voice. "Remember children, Jesus would rather we constantly shame gays than let orphans have a healthy, loving family and home environment. There are priorities!" The three first years faces paled. He heard one of his professors suck in a breath. This was too easy. Have murdered parents and you could get away with anything.

"Gee we didn't mean it like that Harry." Said the second firstie looking quite ashamed.

"Did you know they sent me to live with muggles?" Harry asked, apparently heading off on a completely different train of thought.

"Um, no?" Answered the third. He does speak!

"The muggle world likes to go on and on about love. Muggle poets spend their entire lives writing about it. Everybody thinks it's the most wonderful thing. But, when you mention two blokes, or birds, in love they forget all of that and _freak the hell out_." He lifted a hand and studied his nails. "You see, muggles hate anything that isn't a perfect example of the commonly assumed category of normal. Whether you're of an alternative faith, sexuality, ethnicity or even a child with magical powers. The muggles I live with hate me you know, "He continued brightly, "And I hate them. Still I somehow manage to live with them _my entire life_ without having killed a single one. The point is if I can manage to reign in my hate towards people I know, and loathe, intimately, do you think you can manage to reign in your hate toward people you've _never even met_?"

The first years shifted guiltily. "We never thought about it that way."

"I believe you." Said Harry dismissively.

"Are we letting him get away with this?" Lupin asked Snape musingly.

Snape tilted his head, black hair falling into his face. "I can't decide." He admitted grudgingly.

"We should flip a coin." Said Lupin wisely.

Harry was prevented from commenting, which was a shame, when a red blur zoomed his way from down the hall. "Harry there you are!"

 _"Aw hell."_ Moaned Harry. He snapped his fingers at the closest first year. "Switch me ties. Quickly."

Perplexed, the first year pulled off his blue tie and switched it with Harry's red and gold one. "Thank you."

Harry had just finished fixing it when Ron stopped before him, panting. He was doing that a lot lately. He should really consider suggesting Hogwarts implement some sort of exercise regimen. Of course then Ron might actually catch him when he ran away and that certainly wasn't acceptable.

"I've been trying to catch you all day Harry." Gasped Ron.

"Fancy that, I've been avoiding you all day."

Ron scowled and reached for him. "All day. That's a whole day wasted-"

"And actually haven't."

"I haven't?" Ron paused, confused.

Harry stepped behind the three first years nearest him without any shame using them to shield him. "Nope. You've been looking for Gryffindor Harry. As you can see I am Ravenclaw Harry." He stroked his blue tie lovingly.

Ron blinked. "What are you doing in Ravenclaw Harry?"

"I defected." He said, keeping a perfectly straight face. He valiantly ignored Lupin's laughter in the background.

It appeared Ron did in fact know that particular vocabulary word so Harry resorted to an age old method of misdirection. Widening his eyes he pointed over Ron's shoulder and shrieked, "Dementor!" In the ensuing chaos he bolted down the other end of the hall and ran down two flights of stairs. Unfortunately Ron had followed behind him rather than turn to see if their really was a Dementor. So trusting.

"Why have we stopped?" Asked Ron.

"I'm sure it won't follow us down here." Harry assured him. "It's probably too busy sucking out other people souls to be bothered with ours."

Ron brightened at that. "Oh. Well I wanted to ask you something-"

"There's a spider in the dorm and you want me to kill it for you?" Harry guessed.

Roll rolled his eyes, latching on to one of Harry's arms. "No Harry." He started to drag him down the hall. "What I _wanted_ was-"

"If that's it I won't do it. I'm highly against genocide. We shouldn't kill something just because it technically isn't human. You should be ashamed." Harry cut him off. He took advantage of the bigger boys bewilderment to free his arm and subtly rub it. That really did hurt.

Ron reached for him and Harry stumbled back a step.

"What are we shaming gingers about?" Malfoy called sharply from behind. He was followed by Professor Lupin who seemed to have taken the Slytherin course on ninja. He was hanging around a lot of Slytherins lately. Harry suspected Snape might have taught him. That or Lupin had cloned himself.

"Did you just come up from the dungeons?" Harry demanded, looking over his shoulder at the man.

Malfoy stepped beside Harry eyeing the arm he was rubbing with a frown.

"Yes." Said Lupin.

"...but we just left you upstairs."

Lupin shrugged.

Harry stared at the Defense Professor. "I'm going to go ahead and let that slide. Anyway, Ron here is spreading a message of hate toward other creatures simply because they aren't quite human. He's trying to get me to join him in his journey of non human extermination. I of course am repulsed by such a mentality and have denied his request for my presence at his next murder. It's not to my taste. I'm rather fond of non-humans. You know, Centaurs, Werewolves...all that jazz."

"How could you possibly _like_ Werewolves?" Asked Ron, turning back to him.

Harry took a step closer to Malfoy and wondered when Slytherins started being safer than his best mate. "They've got better hearing, vision and sense of smell than regular humans, they're also stronger and faster. It's like being a superhero."

Ron thought he was crazy he could tell, though Malfoy appeared to be fighting a laugh. He glanced at the Defense instructor.

Lupin stared at Harry with a maniacal gleam to his eyes.

"Are you alright sir?"

He continued grinning widely, baring his teeth in a feral not-at-all-reassuring smile. "Fine...fine."


	5. Chapter 5

**Falling Inside the Black** by **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

 **SUMMARY:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating: T?**

 **Characters:** Harry Potter.

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. Do you really require more of a warning?

 **AN:** Everyone's got a Harry merging with or somehow communicating with and learning from his Horcrux story so I thought I'd give my version of it a try. I was in a sarcastic mood with not a lot of sleep at the time. I blame that.

 **Regards**

 **-Pseu**

* * *

All you sinners stand up sing hallelujah, Show praise with your body stand up sing Hallelujah

...and if you can't stop shaking lean back let it move right through ya - Say your prayers, Say your prayers, Say your prayers

Hallelujah

In a state of emergency, who was I trying to be?

When the time of being sad is over and you miss it like you miss like no other

And being blue is better than being over it, over it

All you sinners stand up sing Hallelujah - Say your prayers, Say your prayers, Say your prayers

Hallelujah

No one wants you when you have no heart

Sitting pretty in my brand new scars

You'll never know if you never try again - So let's try, let's try, let's try

Hallelujah

All you sinners stand up sing hallelujah, Show your praise with your body stand up sing Hallelujah

...and if you can't stop shaking lean back let it move right through ya - Say your prayers, Say your prayers, Say your prayers

* * *

The odd discussion didn't prevent Ron from reattaching himself to Harry's arm.

Both Professor Lupin and Malfoy frowned in disapproval when Harry tried to pull it back and Ron squeezed it tighter. Ron and Malfoy engage in another power play and Harry was left berating himself. _How_ could he be so _stupid?_ How could he have gone through the first two years at Hogwarts without noticing all of this going on around him? Sure he'd noticed it in Slytherin but he'd never realized it was going on around him, concerning him, involving so many people. He knew vaguely that Malfoy was attempting to help him in some fashion. What he did not know was why he needed the protection. He did not know why Ron was acting this way and he could not remember if he had always acted this way. This bothered Harry greatly. Everything before this year was in an odd sort of haze in his mind when he tried to search through his memories concerning things like this. He honestly never paid attention to it before. As a child growing up in a household where you had to know what the other members were thinking in order to avoid soaps pan swipes to the head, kicks and verbal abuse it was hard to believe he let all of that fade away at school. Why didn't he notice? Why didn't he do anything before now?

Lastly, and most importantly, how the hell did he figure out what was going on without informing everyone he didn't understand the political moves in his own house? Mentally Harry banged his head against a wall.

"I do think I like the Vampire better than the Lycan."

Harry jumped.

Without any sort of greeting the dark eyed Potions Professor matched step in sync with Professor Lupin, who began moving the moment Snape began speaking, and slid into the conversation as if he had been there the entire time. At this point Harry was just rolling with the recent development of his teachers appearing in places he knew they _weren't_. Malfoy and Harry accepted this easily though Ron seemed like he was torn between shaking Harry until he agreed magical creatures were frightening and being frightened himself. He had the unfortunate privilege of walking between the two Professors, who seemed to have separated him from Harry on purpose, and walking with his eyes flickering between them in an attempt to keep them both in his sights took precedence over Harry's absurd affection for dangerous things. Harry couldn't blame the red head for being uncomfortable. The professors were intimidating. Intimidating weirdos keeping the taller Gryffindor from leeching onto him and dragging him about.

Bless those creeptastic bastards.

"You would-" Started their Defense Instructor exchanging a look with the Potions Master which spoke of an inside joke the rest of them weren't privy too.

"I've yet to be attacked by a _Vampire_." Said Snape.

Lupin gave a toothy grin. "Perhaps they recognize one of their brethren."

Harry of course immediately decided he just had to find out what that was about. They already had inside jokes? What on earth did they get up to when they weren't teaching or grading papers? Having fun without him, that's what! _The audacity_. Probably scaring little firsties out of their skins. Popping out of nowhere. Thrusting boggarts and allusions to impending poisoning at the poor unsuspecting children...

"Harry, mate, you're grinning maniacally at nothing. Again." Said Ron.

"Am I? How odd of me." Harry felt his face with a hand curiously.

Malfoy looked fondly exasperated.

"-I've yet to be attacked by a Vampire."

Oh that conversation really is happening, they weren't just pretending to have one. Interesting.

Lupin gave a toothy grin. "Perhaps they recognize one of their brethren."

"Ah. That may explain my near death. I was mistaken for an archnemisis."

"To be fair that's an easy mistake to make." The Defense Instructor pointed out.

In the ensuing argument between Snape and Professor Lupin, the latter of the two had an unhealthy attachment to Werewolves, Ron managed to slip away. It wasn't until dinner, which was when they actually noticed Ron's absence, that they came to any sort of compromise. Specifically that they were hungry. After a decision to ceasefire in their debate they parted ways leaving Harry to sit at the Gryffindor table. Seeing Ron's assessing gaze, his eyes flickering between Harry and Malfoy then up to Lupin and Snape who were sitting side by side Harry made the choice to sit by Hermione instead. He loved Ron. Really. He was his first friend. As in ever. And that meant something to him, it really did. Harry swallowed the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He just wished he knew why he was only now realizing how much of their relationship was Ron speaking for and making decisions for Harry. There seemed to be some sort of understanding within the ranks of Gryffindor that Harry was upsetting simply by waking up and making choices for himself. Ron obviously did _not_ like the changes.

Glancing around he realized Ron wasn't the only one paying attention. Several Gryffindors of various years were watching Harry with interest. What was wrong with them- Oh. _Oh._ He'd just walked into dinner chatting with Malfoy, a Slytherin, the Professor Lupin and Snape, who scared the ever-loving-bejeezus out of most of the students. Well damn. He hadn't thought about how that might look.

Harry shrugged, running his fingers through his hair, casually straightening his shirt as well. If he was getting stared at he might as well _look good_ while it happened right? Averting his gaze Harry slid in beside Hermione and started surveying the table. He immediately decided he wasn't hungry. Seriously, there was just never anything good at his table. It was some sort of a conspiracy. Did the universe want him to be tiny his entire life? It was a terrible hit to his ego to have to ask a taller girl the year, or two years, below him to get a book for him in the library. His forehead was the vanquisher of Dark Lords! You'd think he would have grown into a wide shouldered, tall sort of boy. Like Ron. With an interest in things outside of food. Perhaps the Slytherins bribed the house elves to get all the good stuff on their table. Bloody Slytherins.

He should have thought of that.

"Where have you _been_?" Demanded Hermione.

Wide eyed Harry turned only to relax. Her eyes were firmly planted in her book. The few moments she was anywhere not the library the frizzy-haired female had a pile of books nearby and one in her hands. He would have been worried if she was paying attention to something other than a book. The world might end.

"With the Defense teacher. And Snape. And then just Lupin. Then Snape again. There may have been second years, manipulation and a knife involved at one point."

She looked at him over the top of her book. "A detention already Harry?" Ah, Hermione and her priorities.

"I did not in fact get a detention." He paused uncertainly. "At least they didn't appear to come to any sort of agreement on the matter. No, I'm pretty sure I got away with it."

She gave a long suffering sigh, actually lowering her book. "What did you do now?"

He waited three minutes to establish the world was not ending before he answered. "I'm trying to establish a friendship between Lupin and Snape. You know, promote inter house unity and all of that? I thought since Lupin is a Gryffindor and Snape is a Slytherin it might inspire the students to follow in their footsteps. And if I have to get a few detentions, well, I think that's worth it. Don't you?"

Lies. So many lies.

Hermione tackled him in a hug with wet shining eyes. "Oh Harry!" She sat up rubbing her eyes, turning her attention on Ron and promptly smacked him with her book. "Why don't you ever do anything like that with your time?" The red head looked up startled. He obviously hadn't been aware of anything outside glowering petulantly at his plate.

Seizing the distraction Harry turned in his seat. "Malfoy."

The blonde looked over his shoulder. "Potter."

They stared one another down.

"Do you have an apple for me?" Asked Harry when their tablemates started looking nervous. Honestly, with all of the Trolls and Basilisks running around you'd think a Gryffindor and a Slytherin not hexing one another on sight wouldn't cause such a stir. Who gets nervous because of a lack of violence? Then again none of them even brought those events up anymore, maybe the wizarding was so used to dangerous things happening the didn't know how to react when their lives weren't in immediate danger. That was explain a lot actually.

Malfoy pretended to think about the question. "Let's see...I can't seem to remember...where _did_ I put those apples?"

"I have nothing to say to you." Harry looked away, pouting. The apples were in the unlikely amount of space the blonde's pockets contained, as Malfoy very well knew. They were his pockets after all.

"Potter turn around." Said Malfoy.

He crossed his arms. "No."

 _"Potter."_

"No you had your chance. Teasing someone how about his apples is bad form." Harry managed to ignore Malfoy for half a minute before he got bored. He turned to his left and tapped Parvatti on the shoulder. "Can I borrow your plate?" He gave a small smile, looking up through his lashes. Harry took her vacant, flushed expression as a 'yes'. With a wave of his hand he turned it into a golden ball rather than a golden plate. Harry threw it up and down in his hand to gage the weight. "Excellent."

"That's pretty complicated transfiguration. When did you learn that? I haven't seen it in our book."

Harry looked up to see Neville sitting across from him. The other boy had developed a perpetually amused expression to his face since the beginning of term. Harry's predicament with Ron the cause. It was annoying but Harry quite liked this new, more interactive Neville over the absurdly shy, stuttering boy from the year prior so he sucked it up. For now. After all, he changed his mind. _A lot._

Harry held up the golden ball, formerly a plate. "Would you like to play a game with me?" Because admitting he had the ability to do things just by thinking about it didn't seem like a good idea. Not everyone could accept randomly appearing magical powers of awesome as easily as he could. He was Harry potter, stuff just _happened_ to him. Not dying. Turning people into ash with his bare hands. Conjuring and transfiguring things on a whim.

Yeah, nothing to worry about. Totally.

"Are you going to cheat?"

Harry huffed. "Why, do I look like a Slytherin?"

There was a loud cough. "An alleged Slytherin," He amended.

Neville rolled his eyes. "It's not that you do it on _purpose_ it's just that you tend to lie and change your mind. A lot."

"It's like you don't know me at all." He deadpanned. Harry turned before he could respond. "Oi Malfoy, you and some of your minions want to play a game with me and mine?"

"When did I agree to play?" Called Neville from behind. Harry ignored him. He was busy boring his eyes into Malfoy's back until he turned around.

"I thought you were ignoring him." Said one of the Slytherins coldly. Merlin, introverts and their _sensitivity._

"I'm giving you a chance to humiliate Gryffindors with an audience. Are you in or not?"

Nott looked at Malfoy who nodded. Theo gave a grudging nod as well, lips fighting a pleased smile.

Slytherins. Humiliation was their catnip. Snakenip? _Serepentnip..._

Dean Thomas and Seamus, who sat on either side of Neville, were staring at him fixedly when Harry stopped daydreaming. "Er...yes?"

"Don't _we_ get to be minions?" Asked Seamus. "Is only Neville a minion? What the hell did he do to get to do be a minion?"

"It's an outrage." Added Dean. The two grinned at each other, momentarily breaking character, then turned back to Harry deadly serious.

Whoever thought he would one day have students clamoring to be his minions? If only they came pocket sized so he could bring them home over the summer get help with his chores. That'd be the life. "Actually Neville has temporarily been demoted from minion to semi-acquaintance. His minionship is on probation. And yes, you're definitely my minions. Feel free to bask in my awesome whenever it suits you."

Seamus clapped Nevile on the back. "Tough luck mate."

"What did I do?" Demanded Neville.

"You accused me of being a lying schizophrenic." A suitable thing to demote somebody over in Harry's opinion. He was the assigner of minions thus his opinion was the only one that mattered, though that was a mere technicality no one needed to bring up. Dean raised an eyebrow at him. It wasn't Snape-like but if he put some effort into it the boy might get there one day.

"I know," said Harry, choosing to believe Dean thought Neville was out of line for incorrectly diagnosing his superior and deserved his loss of position rather than silently asking what happened to cause Neville to come to that conclusion. If they didn't notice his changes they deserved the consequences of them. "I don't think he should be running around psychoanalyzing people like that either. Besides, anyone can tell I'm a low level psychopath. There's a difference."

"Just putting that out there are you?" Asked Dean.

"I have noticed a definite decrease in your empathy towards others." Stated Seamus thoughtfully.

It was always Seamus who noticed the difference first wasn't it? Harry beamed. "I knew you were my favourite Gryffindor!"

Seamus' eyes glazed over, goofy smile in place. Dean snorted.

Harry's powers of awesome were apparently never ceasing. Smug, he stood and clapped his hands. "Right. Look, I'm going to throw these and we're going to try to catch them while being as distracting, and creative, as possible." He picked up the ball, tapped it with his wand to make some copies, then tossed one to Malfoy and one to Dean. "Alright, run across the room and throw them. You have to keep them up in the air, if they touch the ground you loose a point, three times on the ground and you're out because you suck at this. That ball is out as well. Try to keep it with your teammates, the other team can steal the ball as long as they don't drop it and successfully pass it to another member of their team, if not they lose a point and the original team gets it back. Got it? Ready? Go!"

Harry threw one across the hall. Seamus ran after it, hitting his knees and sliding under the Hufflepuff table to catch it on the other side. He gave a loud whoop and held it up in triumph.

"Nice one." Harry congratulated over the surprised yells of the other students.

Eventually all talk in the great hall ceased but for cheering or booing and occasionally shrieking when the non-players dived out of the way. The teachers, being the role models they are, took to betting points. Theodore Nott received fifteen points for Slytherin when he levitated Hagrid's goblet to catch one of the balls out of his reach. The players had stopped then to look at one another, before simultaneously grinning wickedly and pulling out their own wands. The game ended when Professor Lupin, one of the staff members who joined in, jumped across to the Ravenclaw table, ran down it, leaped into the air by launching off a prefect's head and caught the last golden ball...with his _mouth._ Like a _dog._

Snape face palmed.


	6. Chapter 6

**IamPseuIamPseuIamPseuTheMagnificentIamPseuIamPseuIamPseu**

* * *

 **Falling Inside the Black** by **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

 **SUMMARY:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating: T?**

 **Characters:** Harry Potter. _Seamus Finnegan. Draco Malfoy. Neville Longbottom. Remus Lupin. Severus Snape. Ronald Weasley. Hermione Granger. Theodore Nott. Dean Thomas. Albus Dumbledore. Sirius Black._

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. Do you really require more of a warning?

 **AN:** Everyone's got a Harry merging with or somehow communicating with and learning from his Horcrux story so I thought I'd give my version of it a try. I was in a sarcastic mood with not a lot of sleep at the time. I blame that.

 ***~*~*~*~*READ*-:ANx2:** We hit the 150 mark for reviews on this guys! In honor of such a **fabulous** event you may put at the end of your reviews  a suggestion/request for a one shot or a plot bunny you'd like me to write about. Alternatively I can write a one shot from the character of your choice's POV from any of my stories ( **BLACK, CYHMN, GAWM, RIVALRY, DTB, WICKED, ADITH...** ). So let me know!

 **Ever Yours, Pseu**

* * *

 _We've all got something to say when we open our mouths we find someone to blame_

 _We all have demons to face, situations evolve into something we that can't explain_

 _It's like a thorn in my mind digging deeper ran deeper and killing the love that it finds_

 _The hearts a complex machine when it breaks it takes more than the doctors and technology_

 _To fix me, can you fix me_

 _I've been waiting so long to feel this heart beat_

 _Screaming at the top of my lungs doesn't help me understand what you've done_

 _Maybe this will tear me apart built maybe ill go back to the start_

 _And honestly i cant believe that this is really happening_

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

* * *

No mentioned the _ball in mouth_ incident.

They might bring up the game or talk about the various discussions the prefects were having with one another over the rules and how to schedule future games. They might bring up the possibility of uniforms and the rumour Draco Malfoy was showing Harry Potter how to get the game legalized and sanctioned as a full wizarding sport through the Ministry. Not one mentioned how Professor Lupin only ever ate meat and he ate it rare, no now brought up the moments the scarred man growled or how a certain green eyes Gryffindor had taken to throwing things down the hall for the man to catch. When he wasn't there for the days of the full-moon there were exchanges of glances, meaningful looks, raised eyebrows and paled faces but not one student brought it up. Whether it was because they thought their teacher's _super-hearing_ might catch it or because they found the man frightening all on his own _without_ adding a wild beast inside of him that was let loose once a month it was uncertain.

What Harry did know was that his Defense Instructor was totally a werewolf and it was awesome.

During lectures Harry would calmly raise his hand and ask the Professor if he knew whether werewolves had ever eaten that particular dark creature. Lupin would put on a very serious face and proceed to not only describe how such an attack might occur, which the class was quite enthusiastic about, but also go into detail on how that creature tasted compared to more acceptable food choices. He declared everything tasted better than Vampire. Harry's classmates were less enthused about the last half of the lecture though they did begin to look forward to it in a masochistic sort of way. They knew they were going to be frightened and rather like a train-wreck before one's eyes, they couldn't seem to bring themselves to skip out or complain to another teacher. In fact, attendance for every single Defense class was perfect.

This resulted Lupin and Snape having an intense argument about whether or not Lupin could be counted all that scary if the students were still willing to sit through an entire class with the man where as they were always trying to find ways out of attending Snape's classes even when he went over things such as the Luck Potion or Love Potions, which were his more popular classes. Lupin stated only that he couldn't _help_ it if they were slowly becoming desensitized. Neither of their students had to attend class that day. Mostly because both professors were arguing in the great hall where it started at breakfast and neither one bothered to leave to see to their classes. No one complained.

In addition to the talk of the new trend Harry started with his little game, which Malfoy was claiming half credit for, another bit of excitement came in the form of Halloween. Normally nothing more than an excuse to eat sweets and nothing else for the muggleborns and a day of contention for the more traditional magic user, this year it promised to be something altogether different than they were used to in their Hogwarts experience. This was because Professor Lupin had petitioned to be let in charge of the day's festivities. He'd been granted this position, much to the horror of the entire student body, and then went on to convince Snape to do it with him.

More than a half the house of Hufflepuff tried owling home to get out of it. Non were successful. Ravenclaws were seeing looking up counter curses and antidotes to poison. The Gryffindor took to moving in loud packs, wands at the ready. Slytherin house however merely seemed resigned. If any of them knew what Snape might be concocting for his contribution none of them were saying so. Harry couldn't blame them. He wouldn't have either. Thirteen was much too young to die though it would be an ironic age to do so. He thought it would be better to do so the following year on Halloween as it would have been thirteen years from the day he didn't die of the Killing Curse. Assuming he had any say in the matter.

The morning of Halloween dawned and Harry was already up to greet it. He wore all black that day as he thought proper considering the holiday its self and that he'd lost his parents on it. His shirt was a black silk thing he received from Seamus for no reason Harry could discern. It happened in the common room three days earlier entirely of the blue. Ron was less than pleased. Harry didn't know why as he liked it. There were many small black buttons made out of pearl that ran up the from and it was very soft and comfortable. He paired this with a pair of transfigured slacks and some shiny black shoes from Malfoy.

He really wished he'd known about the Slytherins taking the whole favour for a favour thing so seriously before now because it was wonderful. Even if all you were was polite to them they gave you things. Edmund Rosier, a sixth year Slytherin, gave him the satin hair tie he was currently using to hold back his hair now that it was long enough to do so. All Harry had done was run into him in the halls, knocking the stack of books from the boy's arms. Harry waved his hands, collected the books as they levitated to him, handed them over and apologized while biting his lip and looking as contrite as he could manage. **Behold.** The very next day a lovely collection of satin hair ties.

Slytherins were the _best._

Fully dressed Harry set about preparing himself for the day. First he emptied out his book-bag as he had far more important things to carry in it than books or homework. One expansion charm later and he was well on his way. While he did not have any insider information as to what exactly was in store for the day, Harry didn't have a whole lot of luck concerning Halloween as a whole. A troll and a basilisk thus far in fact. He really wasn't willing to be caught unawares this time. He would have everything he needed to take down a dangerous creature, to heal himself and he would remain with one or more other students from the start of the feast until the everyone went to sleep. Like Malfoy always said; never underestimate the worth of a good alibi.

If he was lucky this year he could avoid being caught at the scene of a crime. One could hope.

When he was debating between bringing a jar of general poison negation elixir to spoon into his meal and his goblet or just bringing a handful of bezoars the other occupants of room began to wake. Harry thought it was reckless of them to remain so vulnerable on a day a sadistic werewolf was given control over but everyone had their own priorities he supposed. Ron was the first to waken. The red head opened his mouth to greet him and then stood there with his mouth open saying nothing. Unnerved Harry packed a little quicker. Finally the taller boy snapped his mouth shut and stomped to the bathroom. Harry let out a sigh and reminded himself he _really_ needed to figure out what was going on on that front. If he hurried he could get out of there before the ginger came back and latched onto him. While that would be helpful later on as far as having a witness to his whereabouts, right now it would only results in bruises.

"Harry?"

Both he decided. He would take the jar and the bezoars. Harry carefully set the jar inside then knelt down and pulled up his mattress to get at his stash of bezoars. Harry figured it was better safe than sorry. Even if the Potions professor was warming up to him it didn't mean he wouldn't be waylaid giving an antidote to some less awesome member of the student body and thus get to Harry too late. That would be a sad day in wizarding history. There couldn't possibly be another wizard as awesome as Harry and the void his absence would leave would echo for generations. Or so Harry liked to believe. Actually...he may be spending too much time around Malfoy.

"Harry!"

The dark haired boy looked over his shoulder. "Yes?" Honestly he'd forgotten any of them existed.

He was doing a lot of odd things lately. Or odd for him at least. Forgetting other people had feelings, forgetting they existed, conjuring things with a thought, knowing the answers to questions in class on topics he never researched yet somehow remembered reading books on. Since when did he spend time reading unsanctioned books in the restricted section? Never that he knew of yet he head these moments of recollection where bits of information flooded his mind. He used it to his advantage of course but it was worrisome when he stopped to think about it. His daily routine and the sort of things he was interested in had seemed to have a shift as well. Where as before he was content to wander the halls at night under his invisibility cloak just for the sake of being sneaky, letting Ron beat him at chess and convincing Hermione to do his homework for him, he now found himself watching the other students. Analyzing their interactions, _manipulating_ people to get things he wanted or to get out of trouble rather than straight out lying. He did far better on his assignments and often found himself asking questions he never would have thought to ask before. Like why the Headmaster determined where he went over the summer or why Hagrid had his key and apparently Mrs Weasley had access to his vault be he didn't. Shouldn't he have a key of his own? And while they were at it, why was he living with muggles when he was related to numerous magical families? _Why_ were the definitions of dark and light magic what they were? _Who_ initiated the current definitions or even the need for one? Could he create his own potions by feel and intuition once he learned all the properties of the ingredients like one could in cooking? He was quite good at cooking...

"Why do you have a collection of bezoar underneath your bed?"

Harry stared at Neville blankly. He toyed with responses before choosing one. "Just in case."

Seamus lifted a brow. "In case of what? Are you that afraid you're going to get poisoned?"

Harry, now digging through his trunk, gave a muffled reply. "Not normally no." He sat up once he found what he was looking for. "I'd rather not get caught if I accidentally poison the wrong person. Bad for my reputation." That and from and overheard conversation he suspected Snape often took to switching out various potions in his stores with weak poisons in order to catch the students who dared thieve from his private stores. Not that Harry had or planned to take anything from the private stores for nefarious purposes. He wouldn't ever do anything like that. Experimenting with creation potions and spellcrafting was dangerous and Harry wasn't _nearly_ clever enough for anything like that. At least that's what he hoped Hermione thought if she ever got to thinking up suspects should she hear of disappearing potions or ingredients. She was more distracted than normal this year with all of her extra classes and her insane schedule but it was best not to tempt fate by leaving too obvious a trail. Harry was pretty sure Lupin arranged for Harry to overhear that conversation. He was equally sure the only reason Snape hadn't called him out his 'borrowing' was the fact he managed to keep himself alive. Slytherins were odd like that. They respected the strangest of things. Like survival.

"Why are you poisoning people?"

He blinked. Oh right, there were other people in the room. "I'm not poisoning people. And even if I were, have you seen any bodies lying around? I don't know if I should be offended that you think I'm capable of poisoning people or offended that you think I'd be such a sloppy assassin."

Harry flicked his fingers. All of his quills popped out of the places he'd lost or stuffed them and then forgot about them later. He collected them as well. You never knew when you may need to improvise a weapon or write out a will on the side of the wall somewhere. Things happened. He gave a wave to get his pajamas folding themselves and flying into his wardrobe. He didn't want to stop what he was doing to do it by hand.

"You could just kill the minister and take over one day if you felt like it couldn't you?" Asked Seamus.

He cocked his head to the side. "That is step...eleven in my plot for world domination. So yes."

Dean sat up and drew back his curtains to eye the trio surrounding Harry's bed. "You know, I never can tell if he is being serious or not." The boy grumbled. He swung his legs out and stood, giving in to peer pressure and deciding to get up if not get ready for the day. That and he didn't want to sleep in while people around him talked about political assassinations.

Neville grinned. "If it helps, neither can he." The look on Dean's face indicated that was less than reassuring in any measurement. Harry having access to him in his sleep probably didn't help that any. "Relax. Be a good little minion and you've got nothing to worry about right?"

Seamus leaned against Harry's bedpost and watched him continue to fill his bag. He seemed content just to stand there so Harry soon forgot about him, focusing on his task and letting the world get blurry. Thus he aborted hexing the Irish boy a moment later when he decided to speak and startle him. "Harry why are you- _why do you have a crossbow!?"_

Dean jolted viciously at that declaration and sprinted to that side of the room. It was impressive if one realized he had his own slacks half on at the time and still managed to run without falling on his face."A bloody crossbow? Are we allowed to have those?"

Harry shrugged. "It's Halloween."

"So what?" Dean poked at it as if he expected it to bite him. They did have a book trying to eat them at the beginning of the year so Harry let that slide.

"So," said Harry, shoving a dagger, rolls of bandaging, some polyjuice in case he needed to flee the country and several golden balls to use for distraction purposes, "Professors Lupin and Snape are in charge of it this year in case you've forgotten. One of them is well known for his knowledge of poisons, his former career of Deatherism and ability to send other professors flying into the walls. The other may or may not be a werewolf, eats meat so undercooked there's blood dripping down his chin at dinner, forced us all to face our greatest fears in front of one another and sent the dementor on the train running. That's the only reason I am currently in possession of my soul. The two of them have teamed together and arranged the festivities for Halloween."

They paled rather dramatically.

"But you're his favourite aren't you? Why are you so worried?" Seamus asked, his voice somewhat shaky. That was a good sign, that meant he recognized the danger. Now he needed to learn to acknowledge a danger without losing control of himself. There was always time to freak out and have a breakdown later on but being unable to do so in the moment of crisis can lead to you or someone else getting hurt. Such people were useless in combat situations. When the Hell did he read up on magical combat tricks and tips? Was he sleep walking to the library and researching in the night?

Harry fastened the flap, slung it around his shoulders and turned to face them. "I have it on good authority that I am, and I quote, ' _going down_.' End quote."

The three boys glanced at one another than sprinted to their own beds, throwing open wardrobes and trunks searching for their own bags. "If he's willing to be that mean to you the rest of us are screwed." Wailed Neville.

"I think I have some burn salve and I know I have self sewing stitches, what have you got Dean?"

Dean paused and looked over the pile growing on his bed. "One roll of bandages, some plasters, a text defensive shields I borrowed from.."

Harry walked out whistling. Halfway out of the common room Harry remember Snape insinuating he preferred Vampires over Werewolves because a Vampire hadn't tried to kill him. He said it to Lupin who was not only in on the inside joke but a Werewolf himself. Harry came to a halt, one foot still in the air. Holy Merlin's unlikely hairpiece! Professor Lupin tried to kill Professor Snape! And they were still friends. Who were working together to frighten the Hell out of and possibly scar forever impressionable school age children.

That was so metal.

He started for the door again, nodding at one of his nameless housemates who was paying more attention to him this year. Of course they were, now that he'd defeated a troll, turned a teacher to ash, slayed a basilisk and befriended a werewolf, not to mention proved he wasn't an idiot, they were all over him. It was ridiculous. Did they think he was _stupid?_ Sure he didn't seem to notice any of this last year but they can't have thought he would be oblivious forever? Their attempts to use him and curry favour were pointless. If anyone was using anyone it was him. If they were that concerned with him they should have given him support last year when they were scuttling away from because they thought he'd send a basilisk after them. As if he'd ever be so sloppy. What was it with people and thinking he was so sloppy? That he planned so little? Did he really give off that vibe during his attendance here? Well that would change. It already had. He knew he topping classes with Hermione and Nott from Slytherin. He could certainly cast spells quicker than either of them. In fact he knew spells out of nowhere! He waved his hand and things just happened... Harry froze in the middle of the hallway, the center of his chest cold. He watched his hand twirling his wand. That was familiar. The way he'd been speaking, how he stood, how he walked. Why was it so familiar?

What the _Hell_ was going on?

* * *

 **Pseudonymous Entity**

 **2015**

* * *

 **NOTES**

We hit the 150 mark for reviews on this guys! In honor of such a **fabulous** event you may put at the end of your reviews  a suggestion/request for a one shot or a plot bunny you'd like me to write about. Alternatively I can write a one shot from the character of your choice's POV from any of my stories ( **BLACK, CYHMN, GAWM, RIVALRY, DTB, WICKED, ADITH...** ). So let me know!

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**


	7. Halloween Part 1

**IamPseuIamPseuIamPseuTheMagnificentIamPseuIamPseuIamPseu**

* * *

 **Falling Inside the Black** by **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

 **SUMMARY:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating: T?**

 **Characters:** Harry Potter. _Seamus Finnegan. Draco Malfoy. Neville Longbottom. Remus Lupin. Severus Snape. Ronald Weasley. Hermione Granger. Theodore Nott. Dean Thomas. Albus Dumbledore. Sirius Black._

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. Do you really require more of a warning?

 **AN:** Everyone's got a Harry merging with or somehow communicating with and learning from his Horcrux story so I thought I'd give my version of it a try. I was in a sarcastic mood with not a lot of sleep at the time. I blame that. -Pseu

 **ANx2:** The long awaited next chapter in Falling inside the Black. Enjoy.

 **Ever Yours, Pseu**

* * *

 _There's a shadow on the wall;_ _Stay calm, Stay calm -_ _There's a figure in the hall;_ _Stay calm, Stay calm_

 _Keep my wits and stay alive_

 _There's a stranger in us all;_ _Stay calm, Stay calm -_ _Every hair is on it's end;_ _That's fine, I'm fine_

 _Feeling my adrenaline;_ _That's fine, I'm fine -_ _They are slowly closing in;_ _Stay calm, Stay calm_

 _Find an inner strength within_

 _Stay calm - Stay calm -_ _Stay calm_

* * *

Next chap:

* * *

Harry, after entertaining the stirrings of a breakdown, quickly rallied, put off the breakdown for later, and skipped along to the kitchens where he intended to have his breakfast.

Everyone else might be sufficiently confident in their potions skills to notice when something was off with their pumpkin juice, or, more likely, entirely unaware of the dangers of the day lurking just ahead, he himself would not risk it. He asked of course only for an apple. Red and delicious preferably. They were never as good as the ones he got from Malfoy's pockets, unfortunately. And he also figured neither Lupin nor Snape would believe anyone daft enough to partake in apples on a Halloween co-governed by Snape who really could design and have available poisoned apples. Halfway through the apple he didn't feel any less alive than he did before he started so figured the ones in the kitchens were at least safe. This did have the negative side effect of proving neither the Defense instructor nor the Potions Master would be considering retribution through something Harry did on a daily basis. They were intending to be sneakier than that. Truthfully it would have been a disappointingly simple way of getting to him but it would have taken care of it before the day really started. Fortunately Harry recently developed a taste for suspense and thus could appreciate the claws of fear and anticipation making their way up his spine.

After all, it wasn't every day a werewolf, who frankly didn't give a damn, and a potions professor with an implied fondness for both poisoning and dramatics, combined forces to put on Halloween in a school of Magick. To Hell with possibly being possessed by a teenage Dark Lord you thought you'd murdered the year before, as was his current hypothesis, there was a terrifying day of mischievous frights to be had! With that thought a jolt of determination and excitement flowed through him, or quite possibly adrenaline as his Fight or Flight reflex kicked in. He was ready. He could do this. He _would_ survive.

Harry gave the last bite of his apple a satisfyingly ominous crunch, gathered his book-bag and made his way out of the kitchens.

Upon reaching the corridor just outside of the great hall which contained the space heading out the front doors as well as up the stair cases, Harry found his first trap. The squares of stone on the floor had all been magicked into a sort of checkerboard with the colour black and white, as a traditional chessboard might have, though no castles, queens or knights could be seen. This was met with relief by Harry whose only experiences with this game included Life Size Death Chess and being repeatedly and embarrassingly pummeled by Ron in the Gryffindor common room. A master of chess he was not.

There did seem to be an unknown contingency to getting across the checkerboard. If one simply walked across the doors to the outside would not open nor wood the staircases move for them. It was soon decided their must be a pattern to it. You couldn't step on the same tile twice or you were popped back to the beginning. Attempting to go across on either black alone or white alone didn't do much. If one tried to do so and accidentally hit on the opposite colour of their chosen pattern they were unceremoniously ejected. Neville, who came to stand beside Harry shortly after his arriving, stood with a towel about his shoulders and damp hair, attesting that you were in fact popped above the lake.

"It's quite cold." He said when asked for further information. Which really told them nothing at all. Harry approved.

While several Ravenclaws argued how it was possible to do so as as far as they, and Hermione who read _Hogwarts a History_ as if it were her bible, knew one could not apparate in or out of the grounds or the school its self nor could one initiate the use of a portkey. A foggy memory informed Harry a portkey sucked you into what he could only assume to be a wormhole and spat you out the other end. He now suspected these memories to be from Tom Riddle but they were useful none the less.

"Why don't you dry off with a heating charm?" Asked Harry, noticing the boy next to him shivering.

Neville smiled. "Ah, well, these two older Hufflepuffs tried to levitate one another across. They fell through the floor after they landed. No one's seen them since."

"And no one wants to risk the board deciding them using magic is an attempt at cheating?"

"Yeah."

Harry gave a soft sigh. "Alright turn about."

"Why?" Neville took a step back.

"You don't have to be so suspicious," Harry scolded, "I just want to dry your hair properly before it gets stuck like that the rest of the day. I have to be seen with you you know." He affected Malfoy's prissiest voice astonishingly well. He just might be spending too much time with the Slytherin.

The other boy turned around slowly, allowing Harry to remove the towel from his shoulders and instead use it to dry his hair. It was a little awkward as Neville had to lean down a bit, Harry was rather short. They managed. Three minutes in the pattern clicked in Harry's head.

"I've got it!" He cried, gathering his book bag and starting toward the checkerboard enthusiastically.

Neville gave a cry of his own, toppling backward.

"Sorry Neville." Harry called, dismissively. He stood before the board, eyes dancing this way and that. There were figures carved into the stone. Everyone assumed the colour of the square was what matter but what if you were meant to step only on the squares with a certain figure on it? For amongst the figures he saw a circle which he thought might represent the moon, a a figure that looked rather like a potions bottle and one more that he was certain was a cat's paw. He included the last because he suspected their Transfiguration Professor may have helped. She was the one responsible for the last chessboard he encountered anyway. With a shrug he stepped onto the first square, a moon the only of the three to be in the first row, and then the next, a potions bottle. When he paused on the third he was bumped into from behind. Looking over his shoulder he saw a sheepish Seamus followed by Dean and Neville.

"Hey Harry," Said Dean, tightening his own bag of supplies, "just being a loyal minion. Gotta stay close to the boss right?"

Nevile snorted. "I'm here so I don't go swimming again."

"Using me to your own benefit. If that isn't a friendship based on values I don't know what is." Said Harry. He turned back around and continued his course, complete with entourage. They reached the other end of the board with popping out to the lake or falling through the floor. They took that as a good sign. When they were situated on the stairs and they began to move they turned to each other and grinned. Everyone left below stumbled to get to the board.

 _"Did you see how he did it?"_

 _"What was the pattern!?"_

Dean snickered. "They should have written it down." He peered over the railing at the poor fools below left to find their own way across. He didn't appear the least bit sorry for them. That was quite alright with Harry as he didn't either. It was Halloween. Every man for himself and so on.

"Did _you_ write it down?" Asked Neville, stuffing his towel back into his bag.

Dean held up his hand, ink blooming across it.

Harry nodded in approval. "Ah. Good call. I don't remember the pattern myself and we might need it again. Unless the next is completely different of course." He really hoped it might be. This was turning out to be quite fun. Minus the whole falling into a hole in the ground and never reappearing. It hadn't happened to him though so who cares?

Dean's face fell. "I didn't think of that."

"That's what we got Harry for." said Seamus. "Easy on the eyes and he's got a brain in there."

Harry couldn't decide if that was an insult or not. He was quite smart when he had a mind to be. He was just lazy. Or had been. This year was different. This year he was taking this magic thing seriously. That meant taking a healthy dose of magical knowledge with him every where he went. Harry glanced in his bag. And his crossbow. Crossbows were good too.

"Are you saying I'm not good to look at?" Demanded Dean, trying hard not to grin.

Neville rolled his eyes. "Yes Dean, you're just a pretty as Harry. Can we get off the stairs now?"

"I'm not pretty!" Protested Harry, offended. When everyone exchanged a knowing look, said nothing and got off the stairs he stomped his foot and marched after them sullenly. Boys weren't pretty, they were handsome or rugged or something. He wouldn't intimidate anyone like this. Or maybe it was a different sort of intimidation? Another faded memory hazed in and out of his mind. Harry swayed on his feet, reaching out an arm to stabilize himself against a wall. The raven haired teen shook his head. He needed to get a grip on that sometime soon.

It was very quiet, the further down the hall they went the shade of quiet grew. If that were a thing. It grew until it was overwhelming. The silence burning in their ears. When they stepped upon a stone on the ground that sunk down in the floor with a low grind they gave a shiver and a jolt at the sudden reappearance of sound. The pressure plate triggered a trap, a lovely bronze gate flying out from the wall and swinging into the next wall. They were quite lucky they had jolted as fearsomely they had for if they hadn't they'd have been between the gate and the wall. The deep punctures left in that wall after the gate swung back to its original position was all the evidence they needed to be certain that wouldn't have ended well.

Dean gulped. It was obscenely loud on their shaken nerves. "They wouldn't _really_ kill us, right?"

Everyone looked at Harry. He blinked. "You're asking me if our psychotic Defense Werewolf that's totally not a werewolf he swears and the man who threatens to poison Neville every time he melts a cauldron would seriously consider injuring and possibly mortally wounding us? Or at least you three?"

"Yeah. Point taken." Said Neville. He looked rather pale.

"Are the walls...bleeding?" Dean pointed at the dark liquid slowly dripping from the newly made holes in the wall. His pallor decidedly green.

Harry swallowed, in that place between bad frightened and good frightened. "And you lot wondered why I was packing survival tools this morning." Who was mad now? Their professors that's who. Utterly insane both of them.

They continued down the hall. This time far slower, eyes sweeping the floors and the walls. It was still quiet, though a quiet of a different sort. Rather than the almost buzzing silence of before they were met with mostly quiet with soft sounds from unidentifiable sources scattering in at them from random sides at random times. The return of their footsteps was both a blessing from the monotonous quiet of before and a curse as the steps reverberated far longer than normal, the sound coming at them even from behind. Giving them the constant impression of being followed. They were all a bit on edge. Harry perhaps delightedly so. He liked to believe the gate hadn't been intended to actually hit them and that if it had there was some sort of contingency plan on hand to either fix them, if it were someone awesome like Harry himself, or dispose of the bodies in a manner that wouldn't have the school closed down. Harry would rather be at school than with the muggles, bodies or no bodies.

Unless it was the muggles' bodies...

"Harry, mate, you're doing that grinning at nothing again. While normally I find it funny right now its unnerving."

"It's always unnerving," whined Dean.

Harry realized they finally reached the outside of their classroom. Harry's grin grew much to Dean's displeasure. "To Defense!" Shouted Harry.

"To Defense." Echoed his loyal minions.

Albeit with less enthusiasm. They filed into the classroom which was once again bare of desks. To everyone's relief there didn't seem to be any trunks or wardrobes filled with boggarts waiting for them. At least it was relieving until Harry pointed out it was Halloween and Lupin would definitely take it as a challenge to do something even more spine shaking than normal. Oddly none of them thanked him for the heads up. The little Gryffindor shrugged. If they didn't want to survive the night that was on them. Harry intended to make it tomorrow morning _thank you very much_. Without any trolls or basilisks if you please.

Harry was right of course. The Defense Werewolf as Harry dubbed him walked toward them from a shadow in the corner of the room, cheerful as you please. It might have been reassuring if he weren't gnawing on a raw piece of meat at the time. Something about blood made even the nicest of smiles fearsome.

"Good morning class." Said the scarred man, amber eyes glittering. "Once again we meet to discuss and experience the benefits of facing our fears and defending ourselves against them."

"I thought it was a Defense against the Dark Arts class." Muttered Ron.

Harry leaned around Neville. "It's a metaphor. We're afraid of Dark Arts because we don't understand them and the key to overcoming any fear is to understand what it is and why you fear it."

Hermione looked up from her book. "When did you get so clever?"

"When did you get here?" Harry countered. "We were the last ones in here and I didn't see you when we came in."

She gave a small smile. "Don't be silly Harry. I've been here since first year."

"That not what I...oh my Merlin were you just _snarky_ with me? That's so awesome!"

Hermione blushed and made to answer when Lupin carried on with his speech after making the rest of the class stand there in uncomfortable silence while he stared at them. Chewing on a raw piece of meat. Without blinking.

"So." He continued, causing the class to jump, shriek and huddle together, "today we will once again face our fears. No, not with a Bogart. I've chosen something a little more personal." With that he flicked his wand, a small splatter of blood flying from his meat, and the lights dimmed. From the corners of the room shadows crept forward, one to a student. They floated before them, unmoving, unspeaking, staring. "And begin."

Harry stood still, watching the chaos around him with interest. Every student had a shade of their own which morphed to suit their fear. It was really very interesting and an incredible bit of spellwork. His eyes caught on Hermione and he felt his smile fall. The brown haired bookworm sat on her knees beneath her shade, arms across her stomach and face ducked. Concerned Harry started forward. Once he was within a certain distance he could hear it speaking to her.

 _"-you don't belong here. Everyone knows it. Just like before, isn't it? Did you really think having magic made you special? These kids were born into it, you've got it by chance. You have to study and study because the information just leaks out of you. You're stupid. You're useless. You're inferior-"_

Frowning Harry knelt down and touched his friend's shoulder. "Hermione? Hermione look at me. That's it." Brown eyes stared up at him. "Hermione, how many houses are there at Hogwarts?" He asked.

 _"-stupid. Naive. Mudblood-"_

She started to look back at her shade. He grabbed her chin. "F-four." She responded, shaking.

Harry nodded. "And why is it the Great Hall seems to have no ceiling?"

"It's an enchantment."

"Yes. Who discovered it was the Philosopher's Stone we were searching for in first year?"

The shade looked between them. _"What are you doing? Stop that!"_

"I did." Said Hermione.

Harry offered his hand. "And who discovered it was a basilisk in the pipes last year?" Hermione stumbled to her feet with his help.

"I did." She declared, voice stronger. Realization shone in her eyes.

 _"Stop! Stop it!"_ Shouted the shade. _"Stop it now."_

Hermione turned to her shade. "And I am taking more classes this year than any other student in Hogwarts history. I'm also passing them. I'm at the top of my classes if not in the the very top spot. I am clever. Annoyingly so. And I don't believe you. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm not-"

The shade started screaming horribly, shrinking down until it was gone. Hermione threw herself at Harry hugging him tightly. "Thank you."

He smiled. "It was all you. All I did was ask a few questions." Then he was cold and hot and shaking and sweaty. The first bout of real fear tapping at his spine. Harry carefully removed Hermione's arms from his waist. "Let others know how to fight it." He whispered. Hermione glanced over his shoulder, her eyes widened.

"Yes Harry." And she was gone.

The small Gryffindor turned on his heel to face - himself.

He swallowed.

Harry knew his previous tactic wouldn't work on his shade. His shade knew he knew. It stood before him just as it had their very first day of Defense when it had been his Bogart. Himself dressed in a Dementor's robes. Silent. Why should it speak? Harry knew everything it would say. Unlike Hermione's shade it would speak the truth. Something was wrong with him. He'd known it since the first day of term. There was something wrong and he hadn't told anyone. He hadn't fought against it. What would happen when his darkness took over? What would happen if he could not control this, whatever was happening to him? What if the others discovered it and they called him dark and tried to shut him up in Azkaban for it? What if he hurt someone?

At the same time a part of him, or maybe it was Riddle, or maybe it was a truer part of him than he'd like to admit, didn't care. It wasn't his fault this happened it pointed out. So what if he was a little dark? He'd never hurt anyone who hadn't hurt him first had he? He saved everyone from the snake last year, right? These people with their flip-flopping allegiances, they're the ones who left them with the muggles. _It would serve them right..._

Harry drew out crossbow from his bag and leveled it at the shade. He couldn't do this. He couldn't look himself in the eye anymore. With a metallic click the bolt was set free, its aim true. His shade glanced down at the bolt in its chest, in its heart. Emerald eyes exactly like his own looked back up at him and smiled, nodding in approval. Then it was gone.

He really hated Halloween.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Lots of foreshadowing in this chap.

Thoughts, Questions, Guesses, Limericks and Theories always welcomed. -Pseu

* * *

 **Pseudonymous Entity**

 **2016**


	8. Halloween Part 2

**IamPseuIamPseuIamPseuTheMagnificentIamPseuIamPseuIamPseu**

* * *

 **Falling Inside the Black**

by

 **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

"Your fear is 100% dependent on you for its survival."

* * *

 **SUMMARY:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating: T?**

 **Characters:** Harry Potter. _Seamus Finnegan. Draco Malfoy. Neville Longbottom. Remus Lupin. Severus Snape. Ronald Weasley. Hermione Granger. Theodore Nott. Dean Thomas. Albus Dumbledore. Sirius Black._

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. Do you really require more of a warning?

 **AN:** Everyone's got a Harry merging with or somehow communicating with and learning from his Horcrux story so I thought I'd give my version of it a try. I was in a sarcastic mood with not a lot of sleep at the time. I blame that. -Pseu

 **ANx2:** As requested, the next half of Halloween.

 **ANx3:** I received quite a few PMs asking when I'd update this and Wicked so hopefully this will appease you for a little while.

 **Ever Yours, Pseu**

* * *

 _"Fear is a Prison._

 _Self Doubt makes the Chains._

 _You've gotta decide you want to be outside in the sun more than anything else._

 _You've gotta decide the Pain is worth it. You've gotta learn to love Pain._

 _It's gonna hurt breaking out of those Chains._

 _It's gonna hurt breaking down those walls._

 _It's a different sort of Pain then the pain you feel inside your Prison._

 _It's the Pain of shaving off the excess layers, the build up of Expectations and Insecurities._

 _It's the Pain you feel when you realize you could have left anytime._

 _You had the keys in your hand all the while._

 _But thats the sort of thing you don't see until you're already on the other side._

 _Stand up._

 _Stand up and hit that wall with everything you've got._

 _Stand up and fight or you're going to die staring at a piece of sky out the window._

 _That's the greatest tragedy I can imagine."_

 _-P.E_

* * *

Next chapter:

* * *

"Listen up."

Once everyone's shades were dealt with and the various bits of black dust left over from them cleaned up, their Defense Werewolf collected them in the center of the classroom. Unfortunately right about the time everyone was feeling the happiest about it all being over Neville informed them it was a double Defense day. That was a lot of glares to receive all at once.

"When the sun rises, prey knows it must be faster than the fastest predator or it will be eaten. When the sun rises, the predator knows it must be faster than the slowest prey or it will starve. Either way, predator or prey, when the sun rises," He gave a sharp grin. "You better be _running_." Dramatic pause with un-nerving lack of blinking plus chewing on a raw piece of meat? Check. One minute. Two minutes. "Now that we've recovered from our shades..." Lupin gracefully ignored -or didn't care- that half the class appeared to be somewhat traumatized.

"Let's work with the levels of fear. First, second and third. I wonder how, now that you know them better, you will handle them."

Around the edges of the room creakings and moanings were heard. Coming into view were various things to climb over or under or push through, dig through, balance over. While that may have been fun any other time and for the less coordinated like Nevil somewhat intimidating, what everyone really wanted to know was what the crazy werewolf had hidden amidst the obstacles waiting to jump out at them.

"Heights. Fire. Darkness. Snakes. No offense Slytherins." They didn't seem at all offended. "Thunder storms. Giant insects. Dangerous creatures. We must find a way to face every obstacle that comes our way. Use your mind. Be creative. If your fear is the darkness..." The Professor twirled his wand. Slowly it lengthened, thickened. When it started glowing blue and making a low hum several muggleborns perked up. "Fight it with light." He swished the glowing stick-sword at a nearby shadow.

"You can work in a group or alone however you only get a pass if you finish the obstacle course, not if the rest of your team does. You must go through every obstacle. Take your time if you need to. Think carefully. It isn't about getting there quickest or safest. It's about getting there."

Harry raised a hand. "Can I have a lightsaber?" The class, as one, stepped away from Harry.

"No." The class gave a suspiciously relieved sigh. "However since you're so keen to participate, it's your job to make sure the other students make it through the obstacles." Lupin swished his lightsaber mockingly. "You'll go through first and stand on that lookout tower over there. You can call out advice, offer any aid that isn't your wand or involves leaving the platform. I think you can figure out the rest."

Harry's mouth dropped open. "You want me to help them? Do you know how hard it was keeping three of them alive just on the way to class?"

"Well your grade depends on it. Your choice." Lupin shrugged.

"Mangy mutt." Harry muttered.

 _"What was that?"_

Harry jumped. "I said you can't be serious."

The werewolf leaned down and whispered, "I think you could give them some valuable advice Harry. In this class I am supposed to teach my students to defend themselves. I think, with your help, I can teach them something far more important."

"That would be what Professor?"

"How to survive." Suggested Lupin with a wry smile.

Harry shouldered his bag and let out a put upon sigh.

At first guiding his classmates up ropes over walls, through low tunnel mazes and other various playground activities didn't seem so bad. Then the fire pit roared to life under the monkey bars. It was all down hill from there.

 **Boom.**

Harry pivoted on his perch, eyes flickering about the room. "Focus. Are you a loser or a fighter? Put it in context. Life or death. Ever really thought about that question before? It's a question you ask yourself. Your life is in your hands. No one is coming to save you. Have the skills and information you've learned so far in life the ability to keep you alive? If the answer is no you need to sit down tonight and think about your priorities."

It took a few times to get them willing to listen to his advice.

 **Thud.**

It took longer to get them willing to work with whomever they were near at the time or to accept the consequence of not getting help if they weren't willing to give it.

"Focus."

 **Thud. Thud. Twang.**

Harry tossed a blood replenishing potion at Neville. The Gryffindor took a sip, tossed it to Dean who took a sip and tossed it back to Harry. Seamus, Nott and Lavender Brown were attempting to swing across hanging chains over a narrow pool over water. They were taking far more seriously after seeing two girls from Slytherin fall in and subsequently almost drown by the kelpies hiding within. On the other side Malfoy determinedly climb up an incline with a rope and his shoes pressed hard against the side of it. There were holes in it that periodically dripped potions. Some of them made it slimy or icy, other caused the skin to burn or break out in boils. Malfoy to his credit didn't appear to care. His silver eyes were narrowed at the top of the wall.

Eyes on the target no matter the cost. Harry could respect that.

 **Boom.**

"It's _your_ fear. It belongs to you. Control it."

 **Screech. Thud.**

"Every minute of your life is about survival. Whether it's a social survival, a mental or emotional survival, a physical survival. We are always fighting. Don't like your place on the food chain? Do something about it! Use your fear of losing, of failure, of death. When we are genuinely frightened we have laser focus and all other emotions fade away. Because they're _useless._ Whether or not you'll be laughed at or liked? None of that matters if you're dead."

A familiar head of frizzy hair pole-vaulted over a pit of snakes, grasped a monkey bar and started swinging. Flames licked at her sensible shoes, taunting her from below. Reaching the other side the owner dropped to her feet and pulled out her wand. Hermione squirted a quick _Agumenti_ at her skirt which had caught fire at some point and carried on. She'd come a long way from her attitude at the beginning of the exercise. Further along Blaise Zabini and Ron were working together surprisingly well. Zabini didn't talk a whole lot which probably helped. He nodded along to whatever Ron was saying then ignored him completely. He proceeded balanced on the thin plank laid before them, arms out, Ron following after complaining about being ignored all the while. Hey, if it worked Harry wasn't going to disrupt their methods.

 **Boom.**

"When we're afraid we move quicker, with more balance. Our bodies react without is consciously having to instruct them what to do to keep us living. You have a powerful weapon at your disposal. Yourself."

 **Crash.** "Use it." **Thud.**

In the end they all managed to make it through.

Afterward Harry had lunch down in the kitchens, this time accompanied by his minions. After that they had an Herbology lesson. Doesn't sound too exciting at first. Then you walk in and see a giant Venus Fly-trap in a battle with the Venomous Tentacula, the gnomes running amok dressed as hobgoblins. Malfoy was among the first to realize what to do closely followed by Seamus. The purebloods caught on first while the muggleborns had it explained to them. Soon they were all jumping across the desks staying out of reach of the waring plants and throwing spiced cakes at the hobgoblins to 'appease' them.

On the way back to their next class they found the halls had been transformed into a maze-like dungeon. The tricky part was the skeletons, which all appeared to be your everyday, ordinary skeletons. There was no way to tell which were going to continue laying there from the ones that were going to come to life and start chasing you through the halls.

 _"It's got a flamethrower!"_

 _"What?!"_

If you managed to evade, escape or take down the skeletons there were traps waiting for you. Snape used his Slytherin brain to prey on the students baser instincts. Like greed. Or curiosity.

 _"Hey look a new Firebolt laying on that platform over there innocently. I'm going to grab it before anyone else sees it-"_

 _"Wait don't..."_

 **Fip. Fip. Fip.**

 _"Darts laced with sleeping potion?"_

 _"Yup."_

That crafty bastard.

When they reached Transfiguration they discovered that McGonnagol and Flitwick combined their classes for the day. Thus all of third year were together for it. They split into pairs, one half transfiguring either apples into coins or water into ale, the other carved pumpkins and charmed lighted orbs to glow different colours within. It surprised no one when Seamus was the first to volunteer to try turning water to ale. He was quickly reminded the coins and ale were meant to appease fairies and roaming spirits. Not to get drunk. Harry himself chose to carve pumpkins. Mostly so he could harvest the filling for potions. It was far cheaper to get it, fix it up and bottle it for future use now than to have to use the left overs in the student supply or hope he thought to get some over the summer. He hadn't.

"Hey Neville you're carving a pumpkin right?" harry asked the other Gryffindor. The were somewhere near the far right of the room. There on tables various species of pumpkin, and some turnips, were laid for selection.

Neville nodded. "Yeah. I already have coins for tonight anyway and my grandmum sent sweets and cakes."

He examined a medium sized yellowy pumpkin. "Awesome. Can I have your guts?" There was a pale almost white one nearby that was more interesting looking Maybe he'd use that one. Didn't look like it'd be too heavy.

"I'm sort of using them..." Neville trailed off uncertain.

Harry snickered. "The pumpkin insides Nev. I don't need any of your vital organs today."

"Today he says." Muttered Neville.

Ignoring that minor bit of confusion the lesson went rather well. The time until dinner was spent around the giant bonfire Hagrid set up on the grounds. There were games like bobbing for apples or one with hazelnuts. Harry didn't understand the rules but Dean assured him he should play. He had him name his chosen hazelnuts Malfoy, Finnegan, Bones, Patil, Rosier and Weasley. He was then instructed to throw them into the fire. Nearby Neville laughed merrily, holding his sides. Neither of them would tell him what it meant. A group of girls took over the bobbing for apples game. They peeled them and threw them over their shoulders. Giggling, pointing and teasing appeared to be a part of the game.

Some of the teens sang rhymes with their games.

 _"...shave the poor friar to make him a liar, cut off his beard to make him afeard, if the friar will fall my poor back shall pay all..."_

It was fun he decided. He did wish Hermione would join in. She sat off to the side with her face in a book. Ron was reluctant at first as well until he saw Seamus talking Harry into eating slices of something called Barnbrack with him. From what Harry gathered there were prizes inside that foretold different things about the water's future. The flying leap Ron made to get some of it as well was awe inspiring. Who knew he was so athletic? Seamus got a thimble which he cursed. Ron got a rag which he stomped on. Neither of them stayed to tell him what they meant. With a huff Harry turned until his eyes caught on white blonde hair.

"Oi, Malfoy." The tall Slytherin shoved something into his pocket, raised a brow and walked over.

Harry held up a ring and a coin.

Malfoy raised his other eyebrow. "You trying to tell me something?"

"I got this in the branbrack. I was playing with Ron and Seamus but they both took off sulking at their prizes and I still don't know what any of it means."

Malfoy perked up. "Oh? And what did they get?"

"Seamus got a thimble and Ron got a rag." Harry informed him.

The blonde snorted. "The thimble means you'll never marry. I imagine Seamus was hoping for a different outcome for his future. The rag, well, it's unlikely Weasley's going to be rich anytime soon." His fingers reach forward and touched the ring in Harry's palm. "This can mean a future romance or alternatively continued happiness. The coin means you'll have a prosperous year. You're lucky to get two in one slice."

Harry blinked. "Oh. So they're both upset because they didn't good fortunes?"

Malfoy gave him an amused look. "Close enough Potter."

"Did you play?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

When he didn't say anything else Harry crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Well? What did you get?"

The blonde shrugged, grinning. "It's a secret I'm afraid. Speaking of secrets," He put an arm around Harry and lead him away to the outskirts of the crowd. Harry could see the path leading down to Hogsmead lit up with jack-o-lanterns and candles and dishes with sweets all along the side of the road. He pulled out a shiny red apple from his pocket and held it up.

"What do you want for it." Harry asked automatically. Malfoy's apples were the best! He'd missed out on apples for lunch because all the other apples were used in their Charms/Transfiguration class.

"Funny you should ask." The taller boy titled his head. "I've been thinking. You seem to be more interested in schoolwork this year, you're trying more in class and doing really well. I'd like to offer you extra lessons."

It was Harry's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Extra lessons huh?"

"Yes. Some access to books you can't get a Hogwarts. Teach you some things you won't learn here. Nothing crazy. I promise. Just, see if you like it. You might not even be able to do it."

Harry considered this. It didn't sound too bad. A part of him wanted to rise to the occasion after the older boy suggested Harry wouldn't be able to do it. He was also incredibly curious. And it wasn't like he was new to breaking the rules.

"And what does this have to do with the apples?"

"Simple. You do lessons with me and I'll give you all the shiny red apples you want. I know you love them. They're special. You can have them whenever you want as long as you actually try during the lessons. I really think you might like it once you give it a shot."

Dinner went well. There was a lot of food that was not good for them. There was pumpkins and music and painted faces. Hermione reading books again. Perhaps she'd had all the excitement she could handle in one day. The girl really ought to loosen up more often. She was actually fun for the first time in ages during Defense. Throughout the day there were attempts by Ron to latch to Harry's arm and drag him about -seriously what was with that- which were ultimately unsuccessful. Harry only had to order his minions to take care of it and threaten to abandon them to face Halloween themselves if they didn't and viola. Instant bodyguards. The map the twins gave him was also quite helpful in allowing his minions to do their work. Seamus especially was passionate about fulfilling his minion duties that day. Such a loyal underling.

No one died that day. No one tried to steal a life giving stone of potential immortality. No one chased winged keys on broomsticks or went exploring hidden chambers accessible only by obscure languages. There hadn't been a troll. There hadn't been a basilisk attack... _"He's here. In the castle. Sirius Black!"_ He knew he should't have gotten cocky. At least these sleeping bags were comfy.

"Hey Harry?"

The small Gryffindor wiggled onto his side, tipping his head back to look at the other boy upside down. Nevil lay in the row in front of him. "Yeah Nev?"

"I wonder what happened to those two Hufflepuffs."

Harry tried to shrug. It was odd in that position.

"Survival of-"

"-the fittest mate."

Said the twins. They lay on either side of Harry eavesdropping unabashedly. When everyone was selecting their sleeping position Seamus and Ron had a bit of a row over who got to sleep beside Harry. To prevent their brother from getting pummeled by the students who wanted to sleep and to allegedly keep Harry safe they took up positions around him forcing the other boys to find a place somewhere else. Interestingly enough they were fine with Malfoy and Neville taking positions in the rows directly in front of and behind his.

"Harry tell your pet Gryffs to shut up or I'm going to kill them in their sleep."

Harry sat up halfway to smirk at the blonde Slytherin. "I think they should be more worried about Black hearing the noise they're making and discovering the entire student body collected in one spot like a gift wrapped present for him. He really would kill us in our sleep."

For some odd reason none of the other Gryffindors, or anyone within hearing distance, got any sleep after that.

* * *

 **Pseudonymous Entity**

 **2016**

* * *

 **Notes:**

Had loads of fun with the Halloween chapters. I was waiting for them for ages. More to come ahead. A bit of groundwork laid here for the future. Any guesses? Anyone catch anything?

Thoughts, Questions, Guesses, Limericks and Theories always welcomed. -Pseu

Not beta'd. All screws up are my own. I'll fix them as I come across them.


	9. The Day of the Dead Part 1

*PSEU*pseu*PSEU*pseu*PSEU*pseu*PSEU*

* * *

 **Falling Inside the Black**

by

 **Pseudonymous Entity**

* * *

"Your fear is 100% dependent on you for its survival."

* * *

 **Summary:** The altercation with the dementor on the Hogwarts Express causes Harry to slowly merge with the Horcrux.

 **Rating:** Officially **M**. So brace yourself. There be Dragons...

 **Characters:** Harry Potter. Tom Riddle. Seamus Finnegan. Draco Malfoy. Neville Longbottom. Remus Lupin. Severus Snape. Ronald Weasley. Hermione Granger. Theodore Nott. Dean Thomas. Albus Dumbledore. Sirius Black.

 **Warnings:** Harry is merging with the Dark Lord. How much more of a warning do you need?

 **Features:** Politics. Macabre Humour. Mind Games. Manipulation. Jealousy. Violence. Creepiness. Ho Hey. And a terrifying Lupin/Snape bromance of epicness.

 **AN:** Everyone has a Horcrux!Harry story of some kind. This one is mine.

 **ANx2:** Ya'll ready for this? **  
**

 **Ever Yours, Pseu**

* * *

 _"This is exactly what has to be done_

 _It happened so gradually_

 _...it's okay to get startled and be afraid of the dark_

 _I'll just wait here to swallow your soul_

 _And tear you apart_

 _And I've already started, there's no saving your heart_

 _This is the Day of the Dead this ain't no day in the park_

 _...The fun has begun,_ _Yeah it's hard to swallow_

 _When I'm done I ain't done_

 _Cause it's Hell that follows_

 _Now get ready for sorrow...cause it's Hell that follows_

 _...it's the Day of the Dead."_

 _-Day of the Dead_

* * *

Things never go the way you predict they will.

You stumble through life and just when you think you're getting the hang of things fate pulls rank. And the rug out from under you while she's at it. If you were clever enough you prepared yourself. If you were lucky you had _friends_ that had prepared. Everyone else was left at the mercy of those better prepared or to fend for themselves. That's life. Remarkably it held a close resemblance to Lupin's defense lessons as of late. Perhaps he was trying to tell them something?

Harry's brain whirled and spun and twirled. Thought after thought zooming in and out. Categorizing. Considering. Trying to keep his memories, his emotions separated from Riddle's. It was difficult. A dilemma he had not anticipated was presented. It was altogether very tempting to blame any unsavory ideas, any dark thoughts or rebellious opinions on the Dark Lord. Faced with the reality that there were many pieces of himself he'd tucked away and ignored it was no surprise he lay awake far longer than the other students in the Great Hall. While they dealt with the fear of murders roaming the halls Harry dealt with the one in his head he had far too many similarities too to be healthy. Knowing you had some darkness floating around inside of you was one thing. Coming face to face with was another.

Harry tossed and turned. Scowled, groaned, whined and flopped the other way. It would seem -upon reflection- that his Bogart might be a result of his own inner demons and that the teenage Dark Lord that may or may not be attempting to possess him might have nothing to do with it. The Gryffindor pouted to himself. Not fair! Whats the use in having a future evil overlord sharing your memories if you couldn't blame him for inconvenient stuff? Well -he amended- he couldn't find any fault with all of the extra knowledge and skills. Even if they came with odd side effects.

An hour or so later something dragged him from the depths of his moral alignment crisis.

The raven haired wizard lay still, slowly coming back to himself. He was puzzled. Not enough time had passed for it to be morning. He doubted the professors had returned from combing the castle for Sirius Black. He peek a green eye open. Then the other. No definitely _not_ morning. He couldn't hear anyone speaking or moving around either. Several spells and suggestions for what to do next flickered along the forefront of his mind. Harry nearly shoved them back. At the last moment he caught himself and let them flow in. After all the extra information he was getting from Riddle's memories had been nothing but beneficial thus far. And it wasn't Riddle's fault Harry was less than the ideal Gryffindor. Wasn't that an odd thing to think?

Besides the least the bastard could do was keep him alive after he ruined his life.

Shaking himself Harry sat up. Almost without thinking his magic went to autopilot accomplishing tasks as the desire for them to be completed flitted through him. His sleeping bag rolled its self up, his shoes laced themselves and his hair combed it self. Absently fixing it back out of his face with one of his new ribbons Harry reflected that power could make one incredibly lazy if they let it.

Finished he turned in a slow circle observing the Great Hall. One half of his mind sifted through shielding charms and the other through concealment spells. Both of which came from books Harry was pretty certain he had never read though he could have stuffed the information away in there during one of Hermione's rants about this or that new book she'd read. He did tend to do that. Unfortunately that didn't help him with the whole keeping himself separated from evil goal he'd set for himself.

He took the beginnings of a panic attack that came with that thought and dragged them kicking and screaming into the farther corners of his mind. Locking them there -and pushing aside the annoying feeling he'd regret that- he turned his attention back to the room around him. He was right. No one was awake yet. He didn't see any prefects either so they must have gone to sleep as well. He easily verified Ron's eldest brother and current Head Boy was still gone with the professors. The Weasley clan tended to stick together in such situations though their personalities clashed something fearsome. Four out five gingers lay nearby. One gone. Harry may have considered the idea of Percy checking the Great Hall to verify his siblings' wellbeing as the reason for his disturbance if it weren't for the only thing out of the ordinary he could see. Poisonous green light pouring in through every window in the large hall. Even _he_ found that ominous. What with the werewolves and convicts and potioneers running amok.

Harry tilted his head. Why did that give him pause. Werewolves...convicts...potioneers...

During his mental tangent other students began to waken in response to the growing bright lights. No one seemed to think much of it at first. It was easy to pin it on the Weasley Twins and roll back over to go to sleep if you still hand all of your limbs. Then they saw Harry standing the middle of the room. Stomachs dropped. Hearts jumped into throats. Quickly any unconscious friends were roused, one after the other copying after the strange Gryffindor. Standing and looking about the room warily. After all everyone had heard of the success those lucky enough to be with Potter throughout the obstacles and traps they had encountered throughout the day. Not one of his team had been lost or hurt during the nightmarish events set up by their least stable professors. If Potter of all people found the light concerning it was perfectly understandable for them to be petrified in response. It escaped everyones mind that the only thing Potter was afraid of was himself.

 _BANG._

The students jumped. Some of the more survival oriented brandished their wands. The Slytherins had never been more smug about their tendency to stay together then that very moment. They were grouped off to the side -ignoring the exception of Malfoy and his crew who favoured Potter with their presence- and relatively safe. The older, stronger students positioned on the outskirts of their grouping, the younger and less skilled secured within. The others were scattered across the great hall. Some didn't even know where their friends were or whom they'd slept beside. Exposed.

The only other grouping consisted of the remaining Slytherins, the Weasleys, three spare Gryffindors and Potter himself. No one could fault them for choosing to throw their lot in with him. He had a knack for surviving when he shouldn't.

"Harry?" A low voice called.

The Gryffindor in question yanked himself out of his thoughts. "Yes Neville?" He spoke quietly and his voice carried well regardless. It was eerie. Every little sound was heard as if it were happening directly by your side. Harry knew if they were too loud it would become disorienting. No need to cause a panic just yet.

"What..." Neville trailed off for a moment. "What is going on?" Neville watched his dorm-mate carefully. His usual amusement toned down in favour of respecting the potentially serious situation. His friend stood there silent for a moment. Deep in his thoughts? Crafting escape plans? Laughing inwardly at some horrible thing about to befall them he hadn't found necessary to inform them of? Well that remained to be seen. He knew _something_ though.

Harry turned just enough to see the other Gryffindor over his shoulder. A part of his mind noted the twins, his minions and Draco stood just off to the side. He refused to acknowledge whether or not he was actively participating ion the action on a subconscious level or it was Riddle's paranoia responsible for it. "We have a problem."

Everyone looked around as if they could spot the source of it now that it had been acknowledged. A Ravenclaw prefect Harry did not know pulled out a pocket watch. He studied it then looked up, speaking to Harry directly. The younger boy oblivious to the attention he commanded. "It's after midnight. Halloween is over. Is it...do you think it is Sirius Black?" He voice softened curiously toward the end of his question. Lupin's efforts in class had raised the imaginations of the students concerning things that could go wrong. After the day they all had they could easily see a murderer as the least of their worries.

Murmurings arose. _Was_ it Black? _Had_ the convict arranged for the lot of them to be trapped together so he might off them all at once? Or perhaps one by one? Or perhaps... and their minds raced with all of the horrible things that might happen next.

Harry took his time to enjoy the rise in fear. It was palatable. He swore he could nearly feel it. Then he gave the naive, far too hopeful Ravenclaw a quick smile. "Is that the worst thing you could think of?" He would never know the image he made standing there bathed in a Killing Curse halo. He did not yet understand how his posture, the tilt of his head, the look in his eyes, the tone of his voice sent thrills and shivers clawing up spines. How Dumbledore would have remarked to himself -were he there to see it- just how much Harry resembled another student who once walked the halls of Hogwarts.

"Sunrise to sunrise. Daybreak to daybreak. That's the mark of a single day. Today isn't over until the next day begins." While the other students whispered to one another about what on earth the possible relevance of that statement might be, and whether they would ever get to sleep, Harry sought out one witch in particular. "Hermione, how long until sunrise."

The witch answered immediately, almost without her consent. The urge to have the right answer for him strong inside of her. "Six." She said. "Six and a half hours until day break." A suspiciously relieved jolt flooded her at his nod of approval.

Harry's magic swarmed about him, enrapturing his audience. He clapped his hands together. The hall fell silent. "You heard the witch. Six and a half hours until day break." Harry spun gleefully taking in the paling faces of those closest to him. He enjoyed their expressions now that he could read them easily. With Riddle's guidance but who needed to know that? Some of them figured it out, others thought of more and more unlikely scenarios psyching themselves out. Well survival of the fittest and all that, he thought. Echoing the words of the Weasley Twins hours earlier.

"I hope you kept your holy water and a bezoar on you boys and girls because Halloween isn't over yet."

* * *

 **Pseudonymous Entity**

 **2016**

* * *

 **Notes:** Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Theories? Guesses? Limericks?

 **AN:** A little short but I thought it was a good stopping point. Next chapter is gonna be long as Hell so be ready for that.

 **Ever Yours, Pseu** ( _The Clever and Magnificent_ )


	10. The Day of the Dead Part 2

DayOfTheDeadPartTwoOfThreeDayOfTheDeadPartTwoOfThree

* * *

 **Falling Inside The Black**

* * *

"Mankind is resilient: the atrocities that horrified us a week ago become acceptable tomorrow." ― Joseph Heller

* * *

 **Summary:** The Horcrux activating and slowly merging with him is the least of Harry Potter's worries as he begins his third year at Hogwarts. With sadistic werewolves and mass murderers running amok it's a good thing Harry's got a sense of humour.

 **Characters:** Harry Potter. The Horcrux. Ron Weasley. Remus Lupin. Severus Snape. Draco Malfoy. Draco's apples. Various minions.

 **AN:** Pretty much a teaser chapter. A much longer one filled with morally ambiguous choices, loss of party members and a dangerous obstacle course is coming up next. Until then...

 **ANx2:** I really need to edit this whole story at some point. Someday. Maybe. We'll see.

 **Ever Yours, Pseu [The clever, magnificent and ridiculously good looking]**

* * *

 _"Fear is a part of life._ _It's a warning mechanism._

 _That's all._

 _It tells you when there's danger around._

 _Its job is to help you survive. Not cripple you into being unable to do it."_

― Jim Butcher

* * *

 **Day of the Dead. Part 2 of 3.**

* * *

Right about then the lights started flashing at a fast enough speed the older muggleborns felt like they were at a particularly sadistic rave.

It was the unnerving loud buzzing noise that came with it that really got them freaked out. It sort of swooped, buzzing low and high and then rather too high and down again in a way that would not be out of place in a horror movie, in Harry's opinion. He'd never gotten to watch one of course but from his cupboard he'd had excellent hearing of them. Regardless of what may have happened to go with the noise, he knew screams often followed and that they brought nothing good with them unless you happened to be the one in a mask carrying a machete. He had seen the covers for the VHS. He knew what the bad guy looked like at least.

In accordance with his limited knowledge of such things, everyone did what humans did best when thrust into an unknown situation. They lost their intelligence -if they had any- and panicked. _Poor dears._

Harry took the chaos in stride, waving his hand and grasping the bag that flew into his hands at the command. Their panic was, of course, understandable and he could only hope when they realized he was working toward his own self-preservation rather than attempting to calm them down and help out the lot, that they would be equally understanding. Harry was a bit of an optimist when he wanted to be. Standing there he took a glance around and resisted the urge to admit a long suffering sigh. Even the Slytherins were petrified in a group. It wouldn't be any _fun_ if everyone else got taken out so early in the game. That and they had a few hours yet until dawn and Harry wanted to make the most of his first proper Halloween!

Not to mention he had a baby dark lord in his head and he was fairly certain that was a major advantage. One he intended to use. Frightening or not it was still a game and Harry was quite competitive.

Darting around a collection of Hufflepuffs running in circles, Harry tugged at a sleeve. Draco turned around and relaxed immediately. Harry debated being insulted that Draco thought he was any safer than the werewolf and the poison passionate goth but since they were in charge of Halloween and he was not he supposed he could allow the sentiment. And wasn't Draco just the sweetest for being concerned about Harry like that? It was fairly adorable -Harry had a crossbow and Draco did not- but sweet all the same. In the same manner, he managed to collect his minions and two of Draco's as well. They followed along behind Harry, weaving around their totally doomed classmates on their way toward the side chamber. Harry chose to come here rather than try for the main doors because he'd seen enough news reports ion Black Friday in New York City to know that large groups of people plus one exit or entrance and a lot of running usually equally in people getting trampled.

"Don't think we don't realize you're the smallest of us and thus the most likely to get made into roadkill." Said Dean, grinning.

Harry sniffed. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

The chamber they reached was a side room connected to the Great Hall that they remembered vaguely from their sorting. Harry knew down the other end they could get to the entrance hall near the main doors. They reached it without any excitement at all beyond the rising tension as a direct result of the nothingness. They knew something was bound to happen soon and it not happening just made waiting for it that much worse. When they got to the other door Harry paused. "Minions, be useful." He waved a hand forward.

Seamus and Dean took it with a grain of salt, opening the door and walking out of it first. Nothing happened.

"You don't have to look so disappointed." Neville pointed out. His lips were twitching suspiciously. It's okay to enjoy it Neville, Harry cooed mentally. Join the dark side. It's fun!

Some of the other students had already made it into the entrance hall though the majority seemed to be wadded up at the doors. To their right, the main doors were open to the grounds. They watched two Hufflepuffs head out in that direction. Harry shrugged and followed after them. He didn't have a plan. He was winging this stuff. He stopped halfway down the stairs. It was too quiet. He turned back and looked inside. Why go through all the trouble of freaking them out like that if they were going to leave a huge plot hole like this? They wouldn't. These guys were through, what's more- they really, really enjoyed frightening people. They wouldn't have forgotten. So, why so quiet?

"What aren't we seeing?" Harry asked quietly. Oddly this seemed to put his little group on edge.

Beside him, one of Draco's minions, whose name Harry did not know, shrugged. "It's an empty lawn. There aren't even any clouds, we can see pretty well if we stay out of the forest. Might be a good spot to be, the grounds I mean. We'll be able to see if someone is coming." About this time the two Hufflepuffs they were following were partway down the hill headed toward the greenhouses. Harry didn't think carnivorous plants were the best place to hide unless they were thinking to yank out some of those Mandrakes and chucking them at anything that moved. Savage. And to think, Harry totally had a pair of headphone he could silence and stick in his ears just in case. He frowned. That would leave the rest of his...group dead, though, wouldn't it?

In the end, it didn't matter because mind snapped back from its tangent and realized a vital piece of information the lot of them had overlooked.

"We...we should get inside." Said Harry, as quietly as he could manage. He took a small step backward. Draco stepped back as well though he did ask why they were heading back toward the madness rather than way from it. "It's a full moon." Harry looked up to emphasize this point. "It's grand that we can see but seeing a werewolf coming for you doesn't do much to help you get away from it does it? And tat just means it can see you all the better if you're standing like an idiot in the middle of a flat piece of land."

The others began to back up as well. "I thought there weren't any werewolves in the forest?" Dean asked conversationally.

"There isn't. But there _is_ at least one on the faculty."

On a side note, Harry was pretty sure Lupin wouldn't go out on the grounds. That man was sadistic not masochistic. He probably didn't feel like being executed anytime soon. That being said, it was Halloween and this man was in charge of it and his beast would be fueling him to even crueler, darker lengths than usual. So the grounds couldn't be safe. His inner beast would be looking to pick off the weakest links first. Cowards looking to sit out the whole ordeal certainly counted. As if on some cue cloak figures appeared around the doomed Hufflepuffs. They carried thick oddly shaped stick-like objects which produced projectiles at a high velocity.

"Are those...muggle weapons?" Neville asked, fascinated.

Harry nodded, eyes locked on the objects in question. "That they are." He darted forward, to the alarm of his companions. Honestly, out of the lot of them he definitely was the best prepared. Harry pulled out his invisibility clock, pulling it about him. Quickly he grasped one of the firearms and skittered back toward the others just in case he was noticed. Harry pulled off the cloak and held the gun out.

"They're not normal guns, though..." Seamus squinted. "Oh, they're airsoft guns. That'll hurt for days."

Harry shoved the airsoft riffle in his bag. They watched the Puffs get slammed until they stopped moving and became nothing more than just a depressing pile on the ground. He had the feeling some kind of spell was on the ammunition...that or they just witnessed the death of their classmates. "What idiots." Harry decided, turning on his heel and heading back inside. "They didn't even think to duck and dodge. Run away. Conjure a shield. Nothing."

"Are we going to help them?" Asked the Slytherin Harry still didn't know.

"One," said Harry, "That was really un-Slytherin and I am _disgusted_. Two; heck no. If they didn't try to save themselves why should we? They know their own worth better than we do and apparently their lives weren't worth fighting for." He missed the startled looks exchanged behind his back at this proclamation. He was preoccupied with removing his crossbow from his bag and loading it. It was not a drill. The Day of the Dead was in session. He wouldn't end up a pile of bruised mush on the ground. With less than six hours until dawn the two creeptastic masters of fright would be gunning for him. After all, they had promised to have something special in store for him. Well, he wasn't going down without a fight.

"I wonder how the others are doing." harry pondered aloud.

 _Elsewhere Ron Weasley found himself in a room full of lookalikes of his various family members, none of which seemed to remember his name. Down the way three Ravenclaws found themselves in a library where, try as they might, they couldn't read any of the book. Upon discovering they couldn't read anything they'd written either, it appearing to be some sort of gibberish, they proceeded to have mental breakdowns. Standing in the room separating the two a lone figure loomed, glancing between the one sided transparent wall on his left and then the one on his right. The figure sipped his tea._

 _Two levels above Cedric Diggory lead a group of Huffepuffs wearing combat vests and chewing jerky. They walked through the halls with purpose, checking the corners and the shadows if each room they passed. It would later be discovered that Harry had lent Cedric the Art of War, seemingly unaware of the possible repercussions. For the two masterminds of this night of terror, it merely made the game even more delicious. It was far more fun to play with your food when it made a real effort to survive. Crushing it was unexplainably satisfying._

"Harry?"

The raven haired wizard blinked. "yes?"

"You've been standing there zoning out," Neville explained, warily. What? Hadn't he ever seen someone space out in the middle of a combat situation before? He really needed some more life experience. Honestly.

Harry blinked again, slower. "Ah. Don't worry about. I was just...imagining things."

"Guys?" In front of them Dean and Seamus had come to a stop. There, at the main staircase they all stood for a moment. Usually there ere many moving staircases one could use at one's own peril, leading from floor to floor. Were they replaced with alligators? Lava? Demons? No. They were simply gone altogether.

"That...seriously limits our area of cover." Said Harry, finally. "I suppose we'll just have to wander around here a bit and hope for the best. We'll probably get picked off one by one doing that. How anticlimactic. I was kinda hoping for a heart pounding run through a maze with potentially dangerous obstacles. This is...just a letdown." Wordlessly Draco handed Harry an apple. The Gryffindor took it, perplexed. "I haven't even done the eye thing or the voice or the-"

"It's free. Just eat it."

"Why?" Harry asked, feeling stubborn.

"You're hungry. You're not yourself when you're hungry."

Bemused Harry took a sharp bite out of it. "Oh! We should go down into the dungeons. We use only a small portion of them for classes, the rest are labs and things, right? And the dorms? Why don't we try to get to the Slytherin Common room and then barricade ourselves in for the rest of the night? This will be easy-"

Draco turned to the others and smiled. "See? Now he's positive again."

"I sort of feel like that was cheating," Dean whispered to Neville. He fiddled with his sleeve, as if unsure he was allowed to make such comments. He was just a minion after all.

"What do you mean?" Neville whispered back, following after their mentally unstable leader.

"I don't know." Dean frowned. "I just feel like we should have wandered about a bit, and failed at finding an alternative place to go a few times before we figured out we could go to the dungeons. It's like we skipped a necessary part of the build up for this scene."

Nevile grinned. "We're with Harry, mate. He's just skipping the boring bits no one cares about so we can get to the good stuff. The good stuff, in this case, involves a crossbow apparently, and a bezoar and holy water if you take what he said earlier seriously...so it being good is relative. Still, trust me, we're not missing anything important. Whatever happens next is going to be _good_."

Harry turned around, annoyed. "Will you quit that? That's my job Neville. You're just supposed to appear to know something I don't when it comes to social interactions. Leave the flexible fourth wall comments no one else understands to me. Okay?"

"Sorry Harry."

Harry glared once more for good measure then faced forward. "Oh look. The dungeons have been turned into a Labyrinth." At least that's what the handy hand-painted sign sitting innocently beside the stairs leading down to the dungeons said. It was spelled right and everything so Harry was inclined to believe it was legit. How wonderful! He'd _always_ wanted to meet the Goblin King. Or run from a Minotaur. He'd take what he could get.

"Do you think it's safe?"

They all turned to look at the Slytherin who spoke. Draco cocked his head, perhaps pondering the question. Then, quite suddenly he kicked the other Slytherin down the steps. The boy came to a halt at the end of the stairs. He gave them all a rather rude look. Giving an annoyed huff the boy stomped forward- only to be slammed into from the side by an unexpectedly large piece of rock on a rope. His body went flying somewhere to the right. It struck another wall and it crashed to the floor. They knew that because they _heard_ it. Gah.

"I'm going to go with 'no'." Said Draco.

* * *

 **PseudonymousEntity**

 **2017**

* * *

 **Notes:** Thoughts, Questions, Theories and Limericks always welcomed.

 **AN:** A bit of a teaser for what's coming. I'm horrid I know.

 **Ever Yours, Pseu**


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